A Trip To The Past
by NicoDiAngeloLover7
Summary: Percy, Nico, Annabeth, Thalia Are Zapped To The Past By The Fates To Read Percy Jackson And The Olympians With The Gods Of The Past. Don't Like, Don't Read. This is my first FanFic. so be nice. Nico/Percy I just go permission to use a part I wanted use to earlier, hope you like it, its on chapter 10, though technically its chapter 8
1. The Gods Meet The Demigods

A Trip To The Past

******Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians and I probably never will.**

* * *

_At Olympus  
_

At The Winter Solstice, Zeus and Poseidon are arguing, Like always. Air disasters are much better than sea disaster. Mother Rhea always liked me best. I have the better domain. Hades is thinking about Bianca and Nico and how they're doing in the Lotus And Hotel Casino. Hera and Demeter are talking about familys. Hermes and Apollo are talking about pranks. Artemis and Athena are discussing ideas. Dionysus is looking bored. Hephaestus is making something out of metal, Aphrodite is checking her makeup. Ares is messing with his weapons. While Hestia's at her hearth.

Then Chiron and the demigods arrive. Clarisse La Rue, Travis and Connor Stoll, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Katie Gardner, Chris Rodriguez. Before Zeus tells them to identify themselves, theres a bright light, and four demigods are falling from the sky.

**3rd Pov**

_Camp Halfblood_

Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, and Nico are at the Lake hanging out talking. Thalia's telling Annabeth about the Hunters. Nico and Percy are holding hands just talking about school and the underworld. Then a bright white light surrounds them and they're falling. Annabeth,Nico, and Thalia fall on the couch. While Percy lands face first on the floor. How is it that I land on the floor and you get land on the couch, it's not fair. We just lucky that way, kelp head, Thalia commented. Just then a box of books hit Percy in the face.

What the Hades, why does that always happen to me! Thalia and Annabeth are laughing at my expressing, while Nico's trying not to grin.

Guys! Look where we are, says teenage girl with blond hair and stormy gray eyes.

The boy with the black skull t-shirt, black skinny jeans, messy black hair, blackish-brown eyes, asks why did you summon us

We didn't summon you, who are you people. Says Hermes

"You don't know us?" said a boy with blue jeans and an orange half-blood camp shirt, sea green eyes, and black hair.

Should we know you? Says Athena

What year is this? Said Annabeth

1950, now who are you and what are you doing here on Olympus! Yelled Zeus

Then a note appears, why don't we read the note first, it might explain why we're here. Said Annabeth.

Hermes then walks up and reads the note. Dear Gods and Goddess' of Olympus, we have sent these demigods in the past so you may learn about them and prevent a great war and many deaths. DO NOT HARM them, since they are of great importance or you will face the consquences. ~Apollo and the Fates.

So what are the books we're going to be reading? Artemis asks

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, Titan's Curse, Battle Of The Labyrinth, Last Olympian, Lost Hero, and Son Of Neptune. Says Nico

Why don't you all introduce your selves and then we'll start, says Poseidon.

Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus and Lieutenant of Artemis. Zeus and Artemis give her a smile. Hermes blurts out, "but you're not a tree, how is this possible"  
I'm not going to tell, but it should be in the second book.

Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena and Architect of Olympus. "But why would we need a architect" Hera asks, who misses the glare Annabeth shot at her.

Nico then pushes Percy forward, who in turn glares at him. I'm Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon and Hero Of Olympus. Then Hades and Zeus start yelling at Poseidon. Does the Oath mean nothing to you, am I the only one to keep the oath! How dare you have a son! Poseidon then yells back, would you kill you  
own child. He was met with silence.

Nico nervously stepps forward, shaking. Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades, Prince of the Underworld and Ghost King. Hades then interrupts, says, I didn't break the oath Nico's been in the Lotus And Hotel Casino for over 70 years. Nico who's still shaking, sits beside Percy who threads his fingers in his hair to calm him down, which it does. And nobody is really paying attention to them.

Clarisse La Rue, Daughter of Ares. Ares gave a small smile

Chris Rodriguez, Son of Hermes. Hermes gives him a grin

Travis...

and Connor...

STOLL, Son of Hermes. And they starting yelling at each other about "that's their line."

Katie Gardner, Daughter of Demeter. Who smiles at her.

Silena Beauregard, Daughter of Aphrodite. The Gods all miss the sad smiles the future demigods sent her.

Charles Beckendorf, Son Of Hephaestus. Athena then sees the sad smiles on the future demigods and wonders what had happened.

Who's reading first, asked Athena

I will, says Hestia. Only Nico and Percy had seen her, since they all arrived.


	2. Chapter 1

**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.**

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now.**

**Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.**

**Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.**

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.**

**But if you recognize yourself in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you.**

**Don't say I didn't warn you.**

You didn't warn us/me. Shouted the Stolls, Hermes, and Apollo

**My name is Percy Jackson. I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

**Am I a troubled kid?**

"Yes." Nico Mumbled

**Yeah. You could say that.**

"You even agree." Nico, Apollo, Hermes, Thalia, and Annabeth. They all got blasted out of their seat, except for Nico.

Hermes then asks. "Why didn't Nico get blast out of his seat by water?"

Nico's got special privilages. Replies Percy.

Aphrodite started wondering how Nico got these special previlages

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan— twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

"Sounds interesting." Athena and both Annabeth said.

"No sounds like torture." Poseidon said.

**I know—it sounds like torture.**

"Father like son." Hestia said. Poseidon and Percy smiled.

**Most Yancy field trips were. But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes.**

**Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee.**

"CHIRON!" The demi gods yelled

**You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armor and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep.**

**I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

**Boy, was I wrong.**

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway**

Everyone busted out laughing, even Athena chuckled. "What were you aiming for?" Nico said in between laughter.

"I don't think I was." Percy said. That made everyone laugh more. And made most of the Gods fall off their thrones.

**And before that, at my fourth-grade school, when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim.**

Everyone laughed. "I love your son he's hilarious." Hermes laughed so hard he fell and hit his head. "Ow I'm ok." That made his kids laugh harder

**And the time before that... Well, you get the idea.**

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

Not going to happen, Perce. Nico commented

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac girl, hitting my best friend Grover in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich.**

"Eww." Everyone said.

**Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled. He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

**Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation. The headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

"Do it!" Ares and both Clarisses yelled

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything happens."**

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there.**

**In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour. He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery. It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, astele, for a girl about our age. He told us about the carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.**

"Why is Alecto there?" Hades thought to himself. Nico was then wondering, who she was. Cause he was so sure he faced her before.

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn. She would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month.**

**One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're absolutely right."**

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned around and said, "Will you shut up?"**

**It came out louder than I meant it to.**

**The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story.**

**"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?**

**I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied.**

**"And he did this because ..."**

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god,**

"GOD! Everyone yelled.

Sorry, but I do correct myself. Said Percy

**and—"**

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

**"Titan," I corrected myself.**

"See."

**"And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead.**

**And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.**

**"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the gods won."**

"Did you just summarize down a war that lasted years into a few sentences?" Nico asked

"Yep sure did." Percy said.

"Cool!

**Some snickers from the group.**

**Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

**"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"**

"Busted." Travis and Conner, Apollo and Hermes said.

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

"We think like a goat!" Travis and Conner, Apollo and Hermes said.

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair.**

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

"More like horse ears." Percy whispered to Nico.

"I heard that." Chiron said.

Percy and Nico blushed deep red and looked everywhere but at Chiron as everyone laughed.

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. "Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.**

"When do they not?" Artemis asked.

"Now." Percy said. Artemis pointed to Apollo and Hermes, who were ruff housing around. "Well those two never do count."

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson."**

**I knew that was coming.**

**I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything.**

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

**"About the Titans?"**

**"About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

"Wow pressure much." Conner and Travis said.

"Sorry." Chiron said.

"It's fine." Percy said.

**I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armor and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever lived, and their mother, and what god they worshipped.**

**But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C— in my life. No—he didn't expect me to be as good; he expected me to be better. And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

**He told me to go outside and eat my lunch.**

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue.**

**Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York State had been weird since Christmas.**

"Why is Zeus furious. Athena wondered

**Nobody else seemed to notice. Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers. Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from that school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.**

"Not happening." Nico said. Percy just replyed. You know, you're just lucky

And why's that? Asked Aphrodite.

Nico and Percy replied and said. Nothing, while their faces blushed deep red. Which made Aphrodite even more curious

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius."**

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home.**

**She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.**

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized cafe table.**

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.**

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

"Turn off." Travis said eating a strawberry.

"Where'd you get those?" Katie asked.

"Kitchen."

"Oh."

"Want to share?"

"Yeah." Katie moved beside Travis and shared the strawberries.

"Cute." Aphrodite thought.

**I tried to stay cool. The school counselor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get control of your temper." But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

"Opps did I do that." Percy said grinning. Everyone laughed.

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. "Now, honey—"**

**"I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

"NO NEVER EVER SAY THAT RULE TWELVE!" Hermes, Conner, Travis and Chris yelled.

"Sorry didn't know about the rule but I know them now." Percy said.

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

"Never guess your punishment ever." Chris said.

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. I pushed her."**

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death.**

**She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—will—stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "Now."**

**Nancy Bobofit smirked.**

**I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.**

**Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

How'd she get there so fast? Nico wondered

**I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. The school counselor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things.**

**I wasn't so sure.**

**I went after Mrs. Dodds.**

**Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.**

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

I don't think that was a very good idea, Perce. Said Nico. And laid his head on his shoulder.

Aphrodite was pretty sure she knew what was going on between them. She needed to watch them more closely to make sure.

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

Nico then gets a bit worried for Perce. And he's got a good guess who that monster was. He's just praying that he's wrong.

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...**

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?"**

**The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

**Thunder shook the building.**

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

**I didn't know what she was talking about.**

**All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room.**

**Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on Tom Sawyer from the Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons.**

You faced Alecto! And didn't tell me. Nico yelled

I told you, I faced a fury. I just didn't tell you when. Percy said.

I thought it was later, when you faced her, not your first monster. Nico whispered.

Sorry, I didn't want to you to worry. Percy muttered

That almost gave me a heartattack. Nico replied.

Nico, why would you can if Percy faced a fury. Hades asked

No reason. Nico replyed

Hestia had stopped reading, and everyone was paying attention to their conversation, especially Aphrodite.

Aphrodite was almost certain they were together. She'd have to talk to them after this chapter.

**Then things got even stranger.**

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.**

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.**

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.**

**My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

**Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan.**

**She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

**I was alone.**

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

**My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms or something.**

"Lady Demeter could you make more strawberries?" Travis asked. Demeter snapped her fingers and Strawberries appear in front of Travis.

"Thank-you."

"You're welcome love strawberries?"

"Yeah my sister got me in to it." Travis said sadly. Conner and Chris hugged Travis as Hermes walked over and sat beside him and hugged him.

"I know you miss her." Hermes said.

**Had I imagined the whole thing?**

**I went back outside.**

**It had started to rain.**

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

**I said, "Who?"**

**"Our teacher. Duh!"**

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about.**

**She just rolled her eyes and turned away.**

**I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was.**

**He said, "Who?"**

**But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

"Never hesitate when you lie." Hermes said.

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

**Thunder boomed overhead.**

"No! who?" Athena asked figuring out everything.

"Nope not telling." The future demi gods said.

"What?" Zeus asked.

"No, sorry not telling." Athena said.

**I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved.**

**I went over to him.**

**He looked up, a little distracted. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson."**

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.**

**"Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

"Now Chiron can lie." Nico said.

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."**

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. "Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?"**

"Who's next?" Hestia asked marking the page.


	3. Chapter 2

_AN: It will probably be in 3rd POV, cause that's what I use when writing. If you don't understand something, P.M. me and will explain, but you have to tell me what you'd don't understand though. I also will put Nico and Percy's talk with Aphrodite the next chapter_

* * *

"I will. And knowing Apollo and Hermes, they're probably starving, so we'll eat after this chapter" Says Artemis

**This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been our pre-algebra teachersince Christmas.**

**Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.**

"Where would we be if you weren't a psycho?" Clarisse said.

**It got so I almost believed them—Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

"Let me guess, Grover." Thalia said.

**Almost.**

**But Grover couldn't fool me.**

"He really is a bad liar." Annabeth said.

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, and then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

"He really needs to learn to lie better, could you teach him Travis, I'll pay you five drachmas." Annabeth said.

"Make it ten and five cartons of Strawberries and you've got you self a deal."

"Five and twenty cartons of strawberries."

"Deal." Hermes looked impressed.

"You've gotten better at bragging nicely done Chris."

"How'd you know I was the one that taught him?" Chris asked.

"Read D!" Hermes said before Zeus could ask the same thing.

**Something was going on. Something had happened at the museum.**

"Yeah my uncle king of the underworld send a Fury after me and I kicked her butt." Percy said. Everyone watched to see if the ground would swallow him up but it didn't.

"Why didn't it swallow you up?" Hades asked.

"They don't like Riptide one bit."

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

"I hate it when that happens." The demi gods groaned.

**The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room.**

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.**

Athena and both Annabeths rolled their eyes and Anna smacked Percy upside the head. "OW Wise-girl what was that for?" Percy asked.

"For being a Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said.

"Ow that one hurt and we all know my grades are better now so no need to smack me."

"Sorry, but you still deserved it"

**I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.**

"Seaweed Brain." Nico said. Putting his head into Percy's shoulder.

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot.**

Athena and both Annabeths laughed softly. Everyone looked at them. "It means old drunk." The said together.

"So Mr. D?" Conner asked.

"Yes Mr. D." Chiron said.

"HEY!" Dionysus said.

"Sorry but true."

**I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.**

"It does." Travis said as he took a strawberry that looked like a heart. "Here Katie." Travis handed the strawberry and smiled as she took it and ate it.

"Mmm juicy." Katie said.

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

"Paul doesn't seem like the type to gamble?" Nico said.

"That's because this is before Paul." Percy said looking down scaring a lot of people. For something that's so cute and sweet, he can be scary.

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view of the woods outside my dorm window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees. I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good friend, even if he was a little strange.**

**I worried how he'd survive next year without me.**

**I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well. As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for.**

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology across my dorm room.**

"I really need to get Greek copies of my textbooks." Percy said.

"I have some if any of you want." Athena said.

"YES PLEASE!" The demi gods said.

"All right."

**Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon,**

"I do know and not telling you how." Percy said.

"Why?" Poseidon asked paling. "You'll find out later."

**or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.**

**I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.**

**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

**I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.**

**I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said,**

**"... worried about Percy, sir."**

"Oh no." Chiron sighed.

**I froze.**

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper,**

"I am" Said Hermes, Chris, Travis and Connor Stoll

**but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.**

"He has a point." Demeter said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

**I inched closer.**

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too—"**

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."**

"Way more." Clarisse said.

**"But he may not have time. The summer solstice dead line— "**

**"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."**

**"Sir, he saw her... ."**

**"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."**

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."**

"It wasn't his fault, it was my choice." Thalia said.

"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. "I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"

The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.

Oh boy." Hermes and his three sons said.

**Mr. Brunner went silent.**

**My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.**

**A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.**

Chiron whistled innocently.

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

**A few seconds later I heard a slow clop-clop-clop, like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, and then moved on.**

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

**Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."**

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

**"Don't remind me."**

**The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.**

**I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.**

**Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.**

**Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.**

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"**

"Nope." Percy said.

**I didn't answer.**

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"**

**"Just... tired."**

**I turned so he couldn't read my expression, and started getting ready for bed.**

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing.**

**But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger.**

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam,**

"T-three hours!" The demi gods yelled.

**my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.**

**For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.**

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

"Now's he's going to think you're saying he's destined to be kicked out." Said Athena

"I really need to get better at that." Chiron said sighing.

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.**

"Oh I think she likes you." Silena said.

"Please don't make me sick." Percy said baring his face in Nico's head.

Which made Aphrodite smile.

**I mumbled, "Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

**My eyes stung.**

**Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.**

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

**"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be—"**

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

"Ouch." Travis said.

"I really need to get better." Chiron sighed.

**"Percy—"**

**But I was already gone.**

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.**

**The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were rich juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

"Nobodies huh." Zeus said.

"Well this was before I knew any of this was real and none of you are nobodies."

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.**

**What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.**

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."**

**They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.**

"How mean." Hestia said.

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had, so there we were, together again, heading into the city.**

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as if he expected something bad to happen.**

**Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.**

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.**

**I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"**

"Oh that had to scare him." Apollo said.

**Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"**

"Oh about all of it." Chris said.

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"**

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers …"**

**"Grover—"**

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

"Grover you're a really, really bad lair." Thalia said before Dionysus smirked.

**"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."**

"AHHH I THINK LIKE KELP-BRAINS!" Thalia yelled.

"Wait Kelp-Brains don't call Poseidon that too?" Artemis asked.

"Yes." Athena said.

"Man you come up with the best nick names ever." Hermes said. Athena blushed as everyone nodded and said yes.

"Well I just say them sometimes so no big deal." Athena said.

**His ears turned pink.**

**From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.**

**The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out something like:**

"Fancy script?" Zeus asked.

"It helps them try and read it so they're prepared for school text books." Dionysus said.

The demi gods were shocked. "I thought he did that to make us suffer." They thought.

**Keeper**

**Half-Blood Hill**

**Long Island, New York**

**(800) 009-0009**

**"What's Half—"**

**"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy.**

**"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

**He nodded. "Or...or if you need me."**

**"Why would I need you?"**

**It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you."**

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me.**

**And here he was acting like he was the one who defended me.**

**"Grover," I said, "What exactly are you protecting me from?"**

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs.**

"Smalls like my Step mom and Step dad." Clarisse said.

"What?"

"Nothing." Clarisse said that too fast for Ares' liking.

**The driver cursed and steered the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.**

**After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.**

**We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat was an old-fashioned fruit stand.**

"An apple would be good anyone else want one?" Demeter asked. Athena and Poseidon raised their hands. Apples appeared in our hands and we started to eat them.

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice. There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.**

"Why does that sound like I know who they are?" Apollo asked. Athena gasped and said

"The fates." Everyone paled and looked at Percy.

"Ha-ha I'm in so much trouble." Percy said nerveless. And didn't dare to look at Nico.

**I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.**

**All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.**

**The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me.**

"Oh no." Poseidon said paling and threw his apple at Hades. "Ow what I do?"

"I can't throw it at the fates so you were the best person." I said.

"Poseidon you son's right here I'm sure's going to be fine." Athena said trying to comfort him.

"Athena you feeling ok?" Apollo asked slowly.

"Just Read." And Athena glared at Apollo.

**I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.**

**"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"**

**"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"**

**"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"**

"Dude no time to joke." Travis said throwing a strawberry at him.

"OI I was trying to light the mood." Percy said

While Nico paled even more.

Percy then whispered to him. "Don't worry, it not mine"

Nico then sighed in relief.

**"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."**

**The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.**

Nico then started to repeatedly mutter. "It's not his"

Percy grabbed his hand to tell him, he was still there.

**"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."**

**"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."**

**"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.**

**Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that snip across four lanes of traffic.**

"H-how are you still alive?" Dionysus asked.

"It wasn't my life line that's all I'm saying." Percy said.

Nico and Poseidon breathed in relief.

**At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu.**

**Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.**

**"Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?"**

"Everything." Chris and Clarisse said together.

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?"**

"Worst." Hades said.

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."**

**"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."**

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

"Observant." Athena said

**He said, "You saw her snip the cord."**

**"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.**

**"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."**

Thalia looked down.

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

"And that didn't work." Percy mumbled but nobody heard him.

**This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.**

"Wished it worked." Percy mumbled.

**"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.**

**No answer.**

**"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"**

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.**

"That's it." Artemis said marking the page and closing the book.

"I'm surprised you weren't whining about food, Apollo." Artemis said.

"I usually get hungry when someone mentions food." Apollo replied

"Why don't we go in the kitchen to for lunch" Zeus said.

"Before we eat, I wish to speak to Nico and Percy, it won't take long" Aphrodite said

Everyone agreed and headed for the kitchen, while Nico and Percy were starting to look very nervous.


	4. Aphrodite's Talk and Lunch

_Aphrodite's Talk_

Nico and Percy were very nervous, they knew what Aphrodite was going to ask. And they didn't know how to respond to what she might ask. They wanted their parents to know, but you never know what Zeus might think. But maybe Zeus wouldn't care, then of course it would be out of the way and they could actually act couple-like. And wouldn't need to care what anyone thought. For now they would have to wait till Aphrodite came back, after telling the gods she wanted to talk to us privately. Just then Aphrodite came back in the Throne Room.

* * *

_Aphrodite's POV_

I just told the gods and demigods that I wanted to talk to Nico and Percy privately. They didn't seem to mind and continued to eat and chat to each other.

When I arrived back in the Throne Room, you could tell Nico and Percy were nervous. Well so far it looks like my suspecions about them are right. And I started to question them.

"Are you and Nico dating?"

"W-Why do y-you ask." Said Percy

"The way you and Nico look at each other and it explains why Nico was always worried about you, especially when he learned you faced a Kindly One"

Percy then glared at Nico

Who is turn just look at him lovingly.

"So I was right, you two are dating" I exclaimed

"How do you know" Nico asked

"Percy also did say that he allows you special privilages, when Apollo asked why didn't blast you off your seat with water and you laid you're head on Percy's shoulder every so often. It's kinda obvious that you're dating"

"Yeah, we're dating" Nico said.

Percy just glared at Nico.

"What! I just want to get it out of the way, and I don't want to pretend that I'm not dating you. Plus I couldn't care less what my dad thinks"

"Aww, that's so sweet! Now since I now know that you two are dating, lets go to the kitchen to eat."

* * *

**3rd POV**

_The Kitchen_

Thalia and Artemis were talking about the "Hunt" while eating. Annabeth and Athena were talking about books, since they were already done eating. Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon were talking about their children, and slightly wondering what Aphrodite was talking about with Percy and Nico. Demeter was talking about cereal with her daughter Katie. Apollo, Hermes, Chris, Travis and Connor were talking about pranking Artemis. Ares and Clarisse were talking about war, typical. Hephaestus and Beckendorf were talking about automations. Hestia and Hera was talking to Silena. Dionysus was complaining about the brats at Camp to Chiron. Then Nico and Percy walked in, Hand, in hand. With Aphrodite trailing behind them. And everyone just stared at them, until Percy just said "What?" Then Percy got some Pasta out and then added blue dye to it, along with Nico. After everyone finished, they headed back to the Throne Room to finish reading the book.


	5. Chapter 3

"Who's reading now" Percy asked

"I guess I will" Said Annabeth

**"Grover Unexpectedly Loses his Pants."**

Just then, there was a bright white light. And there stood Grover. Before he could say something, Thalia quickly told him what's been going on, and he just stood there shocked.

**Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

**I know, I know. It was rude.**

"At least he knows." Hera said.

**But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"**

"Ok I see why you ditched him." Thalia said.

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.**

"Good always wait for the right moment." Hermes said.

**Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

**"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

"Don't even think about going to prank my house you guys." Percy said. Hermes and his sons sheepishly smiled.

**A word about my mother, before you meet her.**

"Cool." Nico said.

"Amazing." Thalia said.

"Fantastic." Annabeth said.

"The best." Percy said.

"Beautiful." Poseidon said remembering Sally.

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.**

"Not fair." Katie said. "Nope." Percy said.

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her.**

ZEUS!" Aphrodite threw her lip gloss at him but he dogged.

"Hey missed." Zeus said. Hera smacked his head.

"Ow." Zeus said rubbing his head. Hera smiled sweetly and innocently. Zeus glared as everyone tried to hide their laughter.

**She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money fora college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.**

"I don't get how she was able to fall for old kelp face here." Athena pointing at Poseidon. The sea god glared as everyone laughed. Apollo laughed.

"That's funny Thena." Athena shrugged.

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My mom doesn't like to talk about him becauseitmakes her sad. She has no pictures.**

"Aww she still loves you." The two love people cooed.

**See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.**

**Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.**

"Impressive she lied and told the truth." Hermes said.

"My kind of women." Travis said. Katie looked down feeling jealous.

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

"Not one bit." Percy said. While Nico leaned against him, holding his hand.

Hades' raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything.

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano,**

"Is that the first step father?" Thalia asked. "Yeah." Percy growled.

**who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick named him Smelly Gabe.**

"Did he really smell that bad?" Ares asked.

"Yes, he makes it being in a locked room with twenty guys that worked out for three hours small good." Percy said.

"Eww gross." The goddess said.

**I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

Everyone was a little green but Athena she now looked like she was going to be sick. Hera made a glass of water appear in her hand. She drunk a little bit and smiled at Hera mouthing thank you. Hera nodded.

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along ... well, when I came home is a good example.**

Percy pulled Nico into his lap and hid his face in his shoulder.

Hades and Poseidon glanced at each other, and silently agreed that as long as their sons' were happy, they didn't mind that they were dating.

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

"Sounds like Ares' basement." Hephaestus said. Everyone laughed.

"Hey my basement is clean now thank you!" Ares said.

"Yeah right." Hermes said.

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

**"Where's my mom?"**

**"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

"I'm going to blast him." Poseidon growled. Percy got up after putting Nico beside him, who was glaring at the book, making Annabeth flinch. And made a wave that made him go up to his father and whispered something.

"All right fine." Percy went to sat down and put Nico back on his lap.

**That was it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?**

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.**

**He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.**

Percy shielded his tears with Nico's hair.

"D-did he hit you?" Zeus asked.

Percy stayed silent. Olympus started to shack and everyone moved having trouble but Chiron had the most as he tried to stay up. Athena walked up to Poseidon and said.

"Calm down Poseidon, I'm sure Percy got back at him for what he did." Poseidon immediately calmed down. Though Nico was still furious, he calmed down a bit, only because Percy's was threading his fingers in his hair.

**"I don't have any cash," I told him.**

**He raised a greasy eyebrow.**

"Stupid man." Artemis said in a British accent.

"Ok we know we're in trouble when Artemis goes British on us." Hermes said.

"No that's Athena." Apollo said. "No when she curses were in trouble."

"Oh opps."

**Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.**

"The only reason why she married him was to cover up your sent didn't she?" Athena asked.

"Yeah." A weak voice said.

"Smart woman." Hera said.

"Sure is." Nico said lovingly.

**"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"**

"Wow he figured out something with Math." Conner said. Percy laughed but still didn't show his face.

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

"At least he has a heart." Hera said.

"Am I right?"Gabe repeated.

**Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.**

Again everyone looked a little green.

**"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."**

"Done." Hermes and Dionysus said.

"You're being nice?" Demeter said.

"Hey only I can make their life hard."

**"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

"You're no better!" Clarisses said.

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's "study."**

"I doubt that." Athena and Both Annabeths said.

**He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.**

"Anyone else thinking of a garbage can?" Chris asked. Everyone raised their hands.

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

"I rather stay here Hestia makes it more homey." Percy said showing his face a little bit. Hugging Nico.

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds,**

**or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.**

"Sorry." Percy said. "If anyone I should be sorry." Poseidon said and Percy hugged Nico closer. Who then blushed.

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.**

"I'm must have been really made over something." Hades thought.

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.**

"Ahh." The goddesses cooed. Percy blushed and poked his head out then stock his tough out and hide like a little shy boy.

**My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.**

"Wish it was like that here." Hera thought sadly. Hephaestus looked at his mother and started on a gizmo for her.

**Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad.**

"I need to say hi to her one day, She did a good job raising my son." Poseidon said.

**I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.**

**"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"**

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

"Now I want some candy too anyone else?" Apollo asked.

"Blue candy." Percy said. Travis and Conner raised they're hands. Candy appeared in bags for them.

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?**

"Hey are you boys ok?" Hermes asked his sons.

"I be better if we were just reading together." Travis said.

**I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.**

"Boys." The girls said.

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"**

"Get your own bean dip." Ares growled.

"I don't like this guy one bit."

"For once I agree with him." Hephaestus said not looking up from his work.

"What are you working on now?" Beckendorf asked.

"A surprises."

"For who?"

"A surprises."

"You're not going to tell me more are you?"

"Later I will but not now that ok?"

"Yeah Dad."

**I gritted my teeth.**

Many people did the same thing.

**My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.**

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself.**

**I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.**

**Until that trip to the museum**

**um ...**

**"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"**

**"No, Mom."**

"No lying!" Hermes said. Everyone was shocked.

"Never lie to your mother, others lie to."

"Okay you scared me for a minute there." Apollo said.

"Yeah." The others agreed.

"Sorry." Hermes said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

**I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.**

'It wouldn't to Sally." Annabeth said.

"And I was support to know that how?" Percy asked.

"Good point."

"You told a mortal?" Zeus asked.

"No clear sighted she figured it out." Poseidon said.

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

**"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."**

"Now I want to go to the beach." Poseidon and Percy said.

"Well maybe on the next break you two can go." Hades suggested.

"Sweet."

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

"That one place where I will actually get in the water" Nico said dreamly.

"Why would you be there" Poseidon asked

"Percy took me there one summer" Nico said, blushing very bright red.

**"Three nights—same cabin."**

**"When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."**

**I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

"Yeah because that sad accuse for a mortal is to lazy getting his ass kicked." Silena said.

"Language." Aphrodite said.

"Sorry but totally true."

"It may be true but language."

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

"I'll give you bean dip right up your ass." Athena, Nico and Annabeth said.

"Oh were in bigger trouble when both of the wise girls cursed." Apollo said.

"Language Nico, Annabeth." Athena and Chiron said.

"Sorry." Nico and Annabeth said, not sounding sorry at all.

**I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.**

**"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

"He better let you go." Poseidon and Nico growled.

"Did he?" Nico asked.

"Yeah." Percy said.

**"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

"He let us go so read please Annabeth." Percy said.

**"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your step father is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

"Nice she would bribe me to let her go easily." Hermes said.

"But I still like May better."

"More like Iris." Apollo sung. Hermes blushed red and hit Apollo upside the head. Everyone laughed.

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip ... it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"**

"What!" Aphrodite and Silena yelled.

"OW that was my ear!" Hephaestus and Beckendorf yelled rubbing their ears.

"Sorry." The two kissed their cheeks. They all blushed and Annabeth continued after everyone but Ares laughed.

**"Yes, honey," my mother said.**

**"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

**"We'll be very careful."**

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip ... And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

"He paid for it!" Clarisse yelled.

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

"DO IT!" Everyone yelled even Hestia yelled it.

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.**

**Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?**

"She did it for me." Percy mumbled. Nico then rubbed his back, avoiding his Achilles Spot.

**"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."**

**Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.**

**"Yeah, whatever," he decided.**

**He went back to his game**

"Good." Hestia said.

**"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about... whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

"I wander how she found that out." Percy looked at Chiron.

"How am I suppose to know." Chiron said shrugging his shoulders.

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.**

**But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

"Wish I was there." Travis said.

"Why?" Demeter asked.

"To put some hot sauce in the dip."

"Nice." Hermes said proudly.

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

**"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."**

"Like he'll be the one driving." Hades and Nico said.

"Now who's father like son?" Poseidon asked.

Like I'd be the one driving.

"Hades and Nico think like the boy." Hades and Nico laughed with the others.

**I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.**

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stair case as if he'd been shot from a cannon. Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

"Sweet how'd you do that?" Thalia asked.

"I still don't know." Percy said.

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.**

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets,**

Athena and Annabeth shuddered.

**and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.**

"I drought that would stop you." Artemis said.

"It didn't." Percy said.

**I loved the place.**

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the** **beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.**

"How romantic." The goddess of love cooed.

**As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.**

"They trait you get when you hook up with Brother." Hades and Zeus said before glaring at each other.

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

"Ok what's with the blue food that's my color?" Zeus asked.

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

"That would be nice."

"Honey you're talking to a book." Hera said. Zeus glared at Hera then smiled as he pulled her into his lap. Hera snuggled closer to him and Hermes took a photo and send it to Athena knowing she'll most likely paint a picture of it. Athena took out her IPhone and saved the photo and sent a thank you text to Hermes before Annabeth continued.

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.**

"And there's the streak." Athena said.

"What streak?" Chris asked.

"Every God has a streak that attracts them to a mortal well not Artemis and Hestia, Poseidon's is rebellious."

"Oh cool."

**When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash.**

Cue glares at Zeus. "Sorry." Zeus mumbled.

**She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.**

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

**"He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."**

"You know now that you mention it Thalia is the only child with my features." Zeus said.

"Nico is the same." Hades said. "I think the Fates did that on purposes." Hestia said.

**Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."**

"Oh I'm very prude." Poseidon said ruffling Percy's hair.

"Hey!" Percy laughed as he fixed his hair. The demi gods looked jealous.

"I'm also prude." Athena said. Annabeth looked happy.

"Me too." Hermes said with everyone else.

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.**

"I don't care about that."

"I know Dad." And he pulled Nico closer to him.

**"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean ... when he left?"**

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

**"But... he knew me as a baby."**

"Yep." Poseidon said.

"You visited didn't you?" Zeus asked.

"Yep and you can't stop me not even Father could."

"I'm not planing on stopping you, or anyone anymore visit all you want just no over boarding."

"Deal." Everyone said.

**"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."**

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember ... something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.**

**I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me...**

**I felt angry at my father.**

Poseidon looked at the floor, guilty.

"I don't anymore Dad." Percy said.

**Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.**

"Sorry."

"Not your fault."

**"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.**

**"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think ... I think we'll have to do something."**

**"Because you don't want me around?"**

"Ouch man that hurts!" Hera glared.

"I'm sorry!" Percy yelled.

I regretted the words as soon as they were out.

"Good!"

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—Ihaveto, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

"CAMP HALF BLOOD!" The demi gods yelled.

"All right kids calm down." Chiron said.

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.**

**"Because I'm not normal," I said.**

"Good demi gods rule, mortals drool but Rachael." Nico said. And gave Percy a peck on the lips.

"And our families." Thalia said.

**"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."**

**"Safe from what?"**

"My idiot brothers maybe." Poseidon growled. Hades and Zeus glared at their older/younger brother.

"Hey he's right but not at the idiot part." Percy said.

"At least he appreciates us." Hades and Zeus said before glaring at each other.

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"Why?" Hermes asked. "Checking up." Poseidon said.

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.**

"Hera." Poseidon growled.

"Don't look at me." Hera said hands in the air.

"Well did you?"

"NO!"

"Good."

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.**

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword. But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.**

"That'll put her in danger." Demeter said.

"I know it was stupid and I hated it." Percy said while interwining his fingers with Nico's.

**"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just... I just can't stand to do it."**

"And she's also loyal how sweet." Demeter cooed.

**"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

**"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?**

"Good question."

**"I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

**"For good? But if it's only a summer camp ..."**

"She was confusing me very badly." Percy said.

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.**

**That night I had a vivid dream.**

The demi gods groaned. "I hate those dreams." They said.

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.**

"Now what?" Hestia asked her younger brothers. The two brothers glared at each as Athena read.

**The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.**

"Hades." Zeus and Poseidon growled. The three brothers glared.

"Not Dad." Nico thought.

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed,No!**

"Ha I win." Zeus said. Poseidon splashed him, getting Hera wet as well and everyone was shocked. Poseidon smirked knowing Zeus wouldn't do anything, since Athena was talking to him and hadn't gone back to her throne.

"You win this round only because you have Athena."

I woke with a start.

**Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

"Now what's got you into you?" Athena asked.

"Well I did just poke him in the eye." Zeus smirked before getting elbowed by Hera.

"OW."

"Don't make him splash you again, I don't want to get wet again." Hera warned.

"Fine."

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten. Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.**

"Monster?" Travis asked.

"I hope not." Nico said worried, he didn't want Percy to face another monster yet.

**My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.**

**Grover stood framed in the doorway**

"MONSTER RAN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Travis and Conner yelled running away.

"GET BACK HERE TRAVIS AND CONNER!" Grover yelled. Chiron grabbed Grover by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up , as if he a feather.

"All right that's enough boys."

"They started it." Grover mumbled. Everyone laughed.

**against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't... he wasn't exactly Grover.**

"Oh I see." Annabeth said.

"Yeah me too."Artemis said.

**"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"**

"I was thinking you scared me." Percy said.

"Sorry." Grover said.

**My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

**"Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"**

"Oh about everything." Percy said sheepishly.

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.**

**"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!"he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"**

"Nope only because I didn't know she knew of any of this." Percy said.

"A lot of demi gods don't know that." Chiron said.

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—and where his legs should be ... where his legs should be ...**

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before:" me now!"**

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of !"**

**Grover ran for the Camaro—but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.**

Grover smiled. "Grover rocks." The demi gods said. Grover blushed.

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.**

That's the end of the chapter whose next?" Athena asked.


	6. Chapter 4

"I want to." Travis said. Annabeth handed him the book. Travis opened the book. "Umm…"

"Don't you want in Greek?" Hera asked.

"No I-I want to try and read it in English…" Travis got up and walked over Athena and sat down beside her feet. "Just to be safe. **M-My Mother Teaches me Bullfighting?"** Travis looked up at Athena, she bent down and looked.

"Yes you read it right."

"That doesn't sound good." Poseidon said paling.

**We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the wind shield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas.**

"My kind of driving." Ares grinned.

"And that is why your motorcycle ends up in my shop…" Hephaestus said.

"And you in my infirmary…" Apollo said.

"Making out with Aph…" Athena said.

"And repeating the cycle all over again. The three chorused. Aphrodite blushed.

**Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants.**

Don't even think about it Conner." Grover said.

"Think about what?" Conner asked innocently.

"You know what."

"Fine."

"Io giuro di non radersi i destini della Grover gal a fare dei pantaloni. What did I just say?"

"I swear by the Fates I won't shave Grover's legs to make pants."

"Done." The fates voices echoed the room.

"Man I just got trick into swearing by the fates." Conner said.

"Nice work." Hermes said.

**But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo— lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.**

**All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom... know each other?"**

"He does now." Percy said.

**Graver's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."**

"Stalker." Chris said.

"You know that's not what he meant!" Clarisse said.

"Yeah yeah."

**"Watching me?"**

**"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "I am your friend."**

"Now you're my brother you live with me at my house." Percy said.

"I do?" Grover asked.

"Yeah, our house is big so theirs rooms for Annabeth, Thaila. While we boys, Nico you and I have s room to ours self in the basement." Sweet. "It is the girls come down a lot to play video games or even chat with our friends on this site made for demi gods, that only demi gods and Gods can use." Nico said.

"And we respect each other's privacy." Thalia said.

"You better." Zeus and Athena warned.

"We do we swore to the Fates we would." The four chorused.

**"Urn ... what are you, exactly?"**

**"That doesn't matter right now."**

**"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey—"**

"Blaa-ha-ha! Goat!" Grover said.

**Grover let out a sharp, throaty "Blaa-ha-ha!"**

**I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.**

**"Goat!" he cried.**

"Yah Grover doesn't change much." Annabeth said hugging her friend.

"No way." Grover said hugging back.

**"What?"**

**"I'm a goat from the waist down."**

**"You just said it didn't matter."**

"Oh burned." Travis said.

"How am I doing so far?"

"Good." Athena said as she watched carefully to help if he needed it.

**"Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"**

**"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like ... Mr. Brunner's myths?"**

**"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"**

**"So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodds!"**

"Still going on about that?" Athena asked.

"Yeah they really messed with my head saying Mrs. Dodds was not really so I was relieved to hear she was real. " Percy said.

**"Of course."**

**"Then why—"**

**"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."**

**"Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?"**

**The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.**

"What's chasing you?" Poseidon asked paling.

"Um... you'll find out soon enough." Percy said.

**"Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."**

**"Safety from what? Who's after me?"**

**"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."**

"HEY!" Hades yelled.

"Sorry." Grover said.

**"Grover!"**

**"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"**

"Yes please drive faster." Poseidon begged. While Nico was beginning to pale.

**I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird.**

**My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.**

"Mmm strawberries." Travis and Katie said.

**"Where are we going?" I asked.**

**"The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."**

"She did what any mother would do." Hestia said.

"Then explain why Air head here got to be free while the rest of us lived in…" Hades shuddered "Father's stomach."

"Um…"

"Oh I know She aid she tried to hide all of you after Hestia but she failed each time until Zeus was born and the whole rock trick." Nico said.

"How do you know this son?" Hades asked.

"She told us and that's all I'm saying." Nico said.

**"The place you didn't want me to go."**

**"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."**

**"Because some old ladies cut yarn."**

**"Those weren't old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to ... when someone's about to die."**

**"Whoa. You said 'you.'"**

**"No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"**

**"You meant 'you.' As in me."**

**"I meant you, like 'someone.' Not you, you."**

"Umm what?" Zeus asked.

"I don't really know?" Athena said.

"We were pretty confusing." Percy said.

"I say it and I don't even know." Grover said.

**"Boys!" my mom said.**

"Yeah boys." Artemis said.

"You know you loves us sis." Said Apollo

"No not really and don't call me sis."

**She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.**

**"What was that?" I asked.**

**"We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question.**

**"Another mile. Please. Please. Please."**

"Pease, please, please." Poseidon continued. Nico was white as a sheet of paper, was leaning on Percy.

**I didn't know where there was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.**

**Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really hadn't been human. She'd meant to kill me.**

**Then I thought about Mr. Brunner ... and the sword he had thrown me. Before I could ask Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling boom!, and our car exploded.**

"WHAT!" Poseidon and Nico yelled.

**I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.**

**I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."**

**"Percy!" my mom shouted.**

**"I'm okay..."**

"Poseidon and Nico breathed relief.

**I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in.**

**Lightning.**

ZEUS!" Poseidon yelled. While Nico gave him his death glare. Which made Hades smile when he was Zeus flinch.

**That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"**

**He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!**

**Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.**

**"Percy," my mother said, "we have to ..." Her voice faltered.**

**I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.**

Hades and Nico paled and said "Oh no."

"What?" Everyone that didn't know asked.

"Oh no I'm telling." Was their response.

**I swallowed hard. "Who is—"**

**"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."**

**My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.**

**"Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"**

"Hey that's me." Thalia said frowning.

**"What?"**

**Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.**

**"That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."**

**"Mom, you're coming too."**

"I wish she could." Poseidon said.

**Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.**

**"No!" I shouted. "You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover."**

**"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.**

"Ok shutting up would be good now." Travis said. Grover glared at Travis.

"Sorry dude but true."

**The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he couldn't be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head ... was his head. And the points that looked like horns …**

"The Minotaur." Ares said.

"Oh no." Poseidon said.

Nico began muttering. "He's still alive, since he's here".

"Don't look at me." Hades said rising his hand in defenses.

**"He doesn't want us," my mother told me. "He wants you. Besides, I can't cross the property line."**

**"But..."**

**"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."**

**I got mad, then—mad at my mother, at Grover the goat,**

**at the thing with horns that was lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.**

**I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."**

**"I told you—"**

**"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."**

"So sweet he loves his mom." Hera said.

"Of course I do." Percy smiled.

**I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.**

**Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass.**

"You should cut that and make it easier for the children." Demeter said.

**Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes except under wear—**

"Did it just say under wear?" Hestia asked.

"Yes." Travis said.

"Ok just checking I heard you right."

**I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms**

Everyone laughed.

**—which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.**

**His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.**

"Nice way of saying their sharp." Hermes said.

**I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us. But he couldn't be real.**

"oh's really." The demi gods said.

**I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"**

**"Pasiphae's son," my mother said.**

"Smart woman." Athena said.

**"I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."**

**"But he's the Min—"**

**"Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."**

"Very smart." Dionysus said.

"Wow you're listening?" Conner asked.

"Of course I am Travis."

"Um I'm Conner sir."

"Whatever."

**The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.**

**I glanced behind me again.**

**The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the win dows—or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.**

"He's smelling." Athena said.

"Oh." Everyone who didn't know.

**"Food?" Grover moaned.**

**"Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"**

**"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."**

**As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.**

**Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying.**

"Oops." Everyone said.

**Oops.**

Everyone laughed.

"M-man that's priceless." Conner laughed. It took a good five minutes to calm down so Travis could continue reading.

**"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way— directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"**

**"How do you know all this?"**

"She smart." Annabeth said.

**"I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."**

"Not selfish that would be Poseidon." Travis joked.

"I get it son good job." Hermes commented

"Hey!" Everyone laughed.

**"Keeping me near you? But—"**

**Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.**

**He'd smelled us.**

**The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter.**

**The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us.**

"Oh no." Poseidon said paling.

**My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."**

**I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.**

"I think I'm going to be sick." Katie said.

"No sick." Travis said. Katie laughed and smiled at Travis.

**He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.**

**The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, but that wouldn't work. I could never out run this thing.**

"Smart move." Annabeth said.

So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side.

"Nice." Clarisse said.

**The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.**

**We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it.**

"Don't think like that please don't." Poseidon said.

"Sorry Dad."

**The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.**

**"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"**

**But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.**

**"NO!"**

**"Mom!"**

**She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"**

**Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply ... gone.**

"NO!" Percy was crying not liking this chapter but he knew she was ok. He put his head in Nico's chest, who wrapped one of his arms around him, while the other was rubbing his back to comfort him.

**"No!"**

**Anger replaced my fear. Newfound strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons.**

The room was silent so Travis continued.

**The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too.**

**I couldn't allow that.**

**I stripped off my red rain jacket.**

**"Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!"**

**"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.**

**I had an idea**

"Oh boy." Thalia said.

"Hey my stupid ideas work sometimes!"

**—a stupid idea, but better than no idea at all.**

**I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment.**

**But it didn't happen like that.**

**The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.**

**Time slowed down.**

**My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.**

"How'd you do that?" Clarisse asked.

**How did I do that?**

"Oh great now I'm thinking like him." Clarisse said.

**I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.**

**The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes. The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.**

Demeter and Katie looked a little green.

**The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backward with all my might.**

"Yeah right." Clarisse and Ares said.

**The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—snap!**

"You were saying?" Athena asked.

"Shut up."

**The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass. My head smacked against a rock. When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.**

"Sweet points for killing with its own horn." Ares said.

**The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief I'd just seen my mother vanish.**

Hades eyes widen and walked up human sized to Poseidon and Athena being careful of Travis on the floor.

"Poseidon get up for one minute." Hades said. Poseidon got up.

"One solid punch, I think I took the boy's mother away." Poseidon punched Hades in the noise making it bleed.

"I'm sorry." Hades went back to his thrown where he held a tissue to his noise.

"You're forgiven sorry if I broke your noise.

"I deserved it."

**I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farm house. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.**

"It's ok we got her back and that's all I'm saying." Percy said. While leaning into Nico.

**The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's.**

"Princess?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah." Percy said. And snuggled closer to Nico.

**They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."**

"Not anymore, Nico's definitely the one for me." Percy said. Then gave Nico a kiss on the lips.

**"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."**

Travis marked the page and closed the book.

"How'd I do?" Travis asked looking up at Athena.

"You did perfectly." Travis ran up to Katie hugged her and swilled in a circle.

"Did you hear that I read it perfectly!" Travis said.

"I heard!" Katie laughed. "Who's next?' Athena asked.


	7. Chapter 5

"I'll read" Said Katie, taking the book out of Travis' hands.

**"I Play Pinochle With a Horse."** Chiron stomped his foot. They all laughed a little bit.

**I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted food.**

"That's a weird dream even for you." Clarisse said.

"I know." Percy said.

**I must've woken up several times, but what I heard and saw made no sense, so I just passed out again. I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding. The girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.**

"Thank you." Percy said, kissing Nico's lips and held him closer to him. Glad that Nico was there.

**When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"**

"That's what we want to know." Zeus said looking at Athena.

"No sorry not telling." Athena said.

**I managed to croak, "What?"**

"Yes what?" Hera and Hephaestus asked.

"Mmm not telling." Athena and the future people said.

**She looked around, as if afraid someone would over hear. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"**

"What was stolen?" Ares asked.

"Think about it, now those who thinks they've figured it out raise your hand and don't tell anyone." Percy said. Artemis and Apollo raised their hands.

"Who stole it?" Apollo asked.

"Nope not telling." Nico said.

**"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't..." Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.**

"Nice way of getting him to shut up." Conner said.

"I like the other way better." Nico and Percy said.

The next time I woke up, the girl was gone.

**husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me. He had blue eyes- at least a dozen of them- on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands.**

"Argus." Percy guessed.

"Yeah that's him." Hera said smiling remembering her friend.

**When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except that they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries.**

"Kind of like Demeter." Hades said.

"Is that a compliment or insult?" Demeter asked.

"For once a compliment."

"Oh thank you."

**There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.**

"Ouch." Thalia said.

"I know hate that feeling." Percy said. While Nico wrapped his arms around him.

**On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry. My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it."Careful," a familiar voice said. Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week.**

"I wouldn't, I just got your mom killed." Grover said.

"No you didn't that was me." Percy then turning invisible so did Nico, since he's with him.

"How'd he do that?" Thalia asked.

"No clue but that's cool." Connor said.

"I think I know but I won't tell." Poseidon said.

**Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Just plain old Grover, Not the goat boy.**

"Not you too." Grover said.

"Goat boy!" The Demi gods said hugging Grover.

"Guys can't breathe." They backed off.

"Sorry."

**So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and we'd stopped here at this big house for some reason. And...**

"Sorry not the case this time." Hestia said sadly.

**"You saved my life," Grover said. "I... well, the least I could do ... I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this." Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.**

"Why would he want a shoe box?"Travis asked.

"I think it's what's inside of the box." Chiron said.

Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood. It hadn't been a nightmare.

"Does he still have it?" Hermes asked.

"Yeah." Annabeth said.

"Boys listen up." Hermes' kids looked up at him. "No stealing, his Mom lost her life because of that monster let him have it and never, never think about taking it understand?"

"Sir yes sir." The boys faked saluted.

**"The Minotaur," I said.**

**"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea-" "That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" I demanded. "The Minotaur. Half man, half bull."**

"Like to live on the edge does he?" Hades asked.

"Pretty much." Thalia said.

"It's going to be interesting watching him grow up I dare say I'm going to have fun with this."

**Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?" "My mom. Is she really ..." He looked down.**

A moment of silents was held for Sally Jackson.

**I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight**

Thalia smiled a little bit.

**My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look beautiful.**

"That's deep man real deep." Apollo said.

"Percy can be deep when he wants to." Thalia said.

**"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm- I'm the worst satyr in the world**

"ARE NOT!" The Demi gods yelled.

**He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.**

**"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.**

Thunder boomed. "Ohh Grover cursed." Travis said.

"Shut up like you don't curse ether." Grover said.

**Thunder rolled across the clear sky.**

**As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, Well, that settles it. Grover was a satyr. I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair, I'd find tiny horns on his head.**

"Dude." Conner said. Beckendorf took out a razor.

"Conner don't try and shave Grover's head!" Chiron said.

"Sorry got to." Grover took his reed pipes out and played and trees surrounded him.

"Hey I got it right for once." Grover said. "Dang now I can't see."

**But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed, or even minotaurs. All that meant was my mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light.**

**I was alone. An orphan. I would have to live with ... Smelly Gabe?**

"NO don't even think about it Percy." Annabeth said.

"I'm missing Percy bring him back?" Katie asked. Poseidon waved his hand and Percy and Nico appeared making out. Hades cleared his throat and it broke the kiss.

"Yes Dad?" Nico asked innocently.

"You know what you both can do that later." Percy and Nico blushed.

**No. That would never happen. I would live on the streets first. I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. I'd do something.**

"I doubt he'll get away with that." Ares snorted.

**Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid- poor goat, satyr, whatever- looked as if he expected to be hit.**

**"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."**

**"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.**

**"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.**

**I recoiled at the taste, because I was expecting apple juice. It wasn't that at all. It was chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies.**

"I taste Cake." Thalia said.

"I taste nachos." Nico said.

"Olives." Athena and both Annabeths said.

"Fish." Poseidon said.

"Meat." Ares and Both Clarisses said.

"Ok enough of that." Demeter said.

**And not just any cookies- my mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.**

"The relationship with your mother is strong." Hera said.

"Yep and it gets stronger." Percy said.

**Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.**

**"Was it good?" Grover asked.**

**I nodded.**

**"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.**

"You always feel guilty." Thalia said.

**"Sorry," I said. "I should've let you taste."**

**"NO!" Grover yelled.**

**His eyes got wide. "No! That's not what I meant. I just... wondered."**

**"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Homemade."**

**He sighed. "And how do you feel?"**

**"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."**

"That's good." Apollo said.

**"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table. "Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."**

"Oh good now we can see how he sees us." Chiron and Dionysus said.

**The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse.**

**My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I held on to it. I'd paid for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.**

**As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.**

"I love that place." The demi gods said.

**We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture**

"It was." Annabeth said.

**an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.**

"I know and I have fun with them." Percy said.

"Yeah, you're always talking to them with Nico." Thalia said.

"They do tell some great stories." Annabeth said.

**Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond-haired girl who'd spoon-fed me popcorn-flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.**

The man facing me was small, but porky.

Dionysus glared at Percy who hid behide Nico.

**He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels- what do you call them, hubbubs? No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park.**

"WHAT WHY YOU LITTLE…" Poseidon made his trident appear in his hands and glared at his nephew.

"Don't even think about." Everyone laughed at the description.

**He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my step father.**

"A two year old can out gamble that man." Hermes said. Everyone agreed with him.

**"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite.**

"That wasn't polite one bit." Dionysus mumbled.

"NO but it was funny." Chiron said.

"Oh nobody asked you Pinky." Chiron glared at his friend.

"Very funny Mr. D."

**The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper,**

Percy then lays his head on Nico's lap water traveling beside him so he could lay down for a few.

"Tired?" Nico asked.

"Mmm." Percy fell asleep. Nico just combed his figures in his hair.

**but she's been here longer than just about anybody.**

"True." Clarisse said.

**And you already know Chiron..."**

**He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.**

**First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.**

**"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.**

"You heard me call him Chiron didn't you?" Grover asked.

"Yeah but I was use to Mr. Brunner."Percy said in his sleep.

**The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers B.**

"Que lo hiciera." Athena said.

"Yo sé que yo haría que Lady Athena." Chiron said.

"What?"

"Spanish." They both said.

**"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."**

**He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."**

"You really hate it there don't you?" Zeus asked.

"Pretty much."

**"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because,ifthere was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice. If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.**

"I'm not a stranger." Dionysus said.

**"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl.**

**She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."**

"You guys really need to claim your kids, I mean there's too many at my cabin and I can't make more room right now so please people claim you kids." Hermes said.

"I claim mine at birth so." Athena said. Apollo and Demeter snapped their fingers and their kids were claimed.

"I claim mine as soon as they get to camp." Ares, Aphrodite and Hephaestus.

"Thank-you more space for my kids and the others. Now if we can get cabins for the miner gods we be set."

"Hermes don't push your luck right now." Zeus said.

**Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."**

**She was probably my age, maybe a couple of inches taller, and a whole lot more athletic looking.**

"Oh yeah much more athletic then you Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said.

**With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image.**

"What's that's supposed to mean?" The two stormy gray eyed girls asked.

"He's just saying that most California girls have blue or brown eyes not stormy gray."

They were startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty,

**but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight.**

"I was." Annabeth said.

"That's my girl." Athena said smiling at Annabeth, who moved to Athena and sat by her feet."

"Love you Mother." She said. "I love you too."

**She glanced at the minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to say,You killed a minotaur!orWow, you're so awesome!or something like that.**

"I would never." Annabeth said.

"Yeah right Percy." Nico and Thalia said.

**Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep."**

Everyone laughed at that. "Your son is so cute." Hestia said.

"I know." Poseidon and Nico said.

**Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her.**

**"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?"**

"Nice way of breaking the ice." Nico laughed. While leaning into Percy.

**"Not Mr. Brunner," the ex-Mr. Brunner said. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron."**

**"Okay." Totally confused, I looked at the director. "And Mr. D ... does that stand for something?"**

"Drunk, dork, stop me when you hear a winner." Apollo said. The demi gods laughed.

**Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I'd just belched loudly. "Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."**

"Agreed." The gods said.

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

**"I must say, Percy," Chiron-Brunner broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."**

**"House call?"**

**"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of absence."**

**I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. Brunner had taken the class.**

**"You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked.**

"Ego." Nico said.

"Yours is bigger." Percy argued in his sleep.

"Is not."

"Is too read Katie."

**Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first.**

**We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test.**

"Which I failed at." Thalia said before Percy splashed her in his sleep.

"Dude how do you do that in your sleep?" A snore was his only response.

**"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"**

"He gets your name right?" Hephaestus asked.

"Yeah." Grover asked.

**"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I didn't know why he should be so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.**

"Oh maybe because he'll VAPORIZE me." Grover said.

**"You do know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.**

**"I'm afraid not," I said.**

**"I'm afraid not,sir," he said.**

**"Sir," I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less.**

"So do we." Chris whispered and the demi gods laughed before getting shut up by Dionysus' glare.

**"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all civilized young men to know the rules."**

"Do you know how to play football?" Travis asked. "Yes everyone here loves it, well not Aphrodite." Dionysus said. "Dude you have to play with us all of you, it might be fun." "All right." Travis high fived Conner.

**The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.**

**Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was,Iwas his star student. He expected me to have the right answer.**

"I do that for all the kids. Chiron said.

**"Percy," he said. "Did your mother tell you nothing?'**

**"She said ..." I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. "She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn't leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."**

Percy snuffled in his sleep. "Shh." Nico whispered. While threading his fingers in his hair.

**"Typical," Mr. D said. "That's how they usually get killed. Young man, are you bidding or not?"**

Aphrodite took off her show and threw at Dionysus. "OW!" The shoe hit his forehead.

"Nice shot." Hephaestus said.

"Thank-you." Aphrodite blushed.

**"What?" I asked.**

**He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.**

**"I'm afraid there's too much to tell," Chiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't be sufficient."**

**"Orientation film?" I asked.**

"It's a pretty cool film." Conner said.

**"No," Chiron decided. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know-" he pointed to the horn in the shoe box- "that you have killed the Minotaur. No small feat, either, lad. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods- the forces you call the Greek gods- are very much alive."**

**I stared at the others around the table.**

**I waited for somebody to yell,Not!But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" He cackled as he tallied up his points.**

**"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"**

**"Eh? Oh, all right."**

"Aww that was sweet of you." Hera said. Dionysus blushed.

**Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.**

**"Wait," I told Chiron. "You're telling me there's such a thing as god."**

**"Well, now," Chiron said. "God- capital G, God. That's a different matter altogether. We shan't deal with the metaphysical."**

**"Metaphysical? But you were just talking about-"**

**"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."**

"Smaller?" The gods asked. Chiron whistled innocently.

**"Smaller?"**

"You all think like Percy." Katie laughed.

**"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class."**

**"Zeus," I said. "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."**

"I really wish they would say Olympians, makes me feel left out." Artemis said. Apollo patted her back.

"Sorry Big sis."

"You just said big sis?"

"I know." And Artemis actually gave him a warm smile.

**And there it was again-distant thunder on a cloud less day.**

**"Young man," said Mr. D, "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you."**

"And so you should." Zeus said. "Sorry." Percy said in his sleep.

**"But they're stories," I said. "They're- myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. They're what people believed before there was science."**

"Real not science sorry." Percy said.

**"Science!" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Perseus Jackson"**

"Dude he said his name right." Clarisse said.

"I know." Chris said.

**-I flinched when he said my real name, which I never told anybody- "what will people think of your 'science' two thousand years from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. That's what. Oh, I love mortals- they have absolutely no sense of perspective.**

"Some of our friends are mortals." Nico said.

**They think they've comeso-o-ofar. And have they, Chiron? Look at this boy and tell me."**

**I wasn't liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as if... he wasn't.**

"I'm not."

**It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut.**

**"Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is thatimmortalmeans immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?"**

"Had the chance but I'd rather be with Nico." Percy said. Nico smiled at that.

**I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.**

**"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.**

**"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would call you a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?"**

**My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let him. I said, "I wouldn't like it. But I don't believe in gods."**

**"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."**

"Oh I love to see you all try he can defend himself in his sleep and he'll blast you with water all the way to the Mississippi lake." Nico said.

**Grover said, "P-please, sir. He's just lost his mother. He's in shock."**

"Thank you Grover." Poseidon said.

"Y-you're welcome Lord Poseidon." Grover said.

**"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I'm confined to this miserable job, working with boys who don't even believe.'"**

**He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent, momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.**

"Son." Zeus warned.

"Sorry."

**My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up.**

**"Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."**

**Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise.**

"Notice how it said feigned." Athena said.

**"Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"**

**More thunder.**

**Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.**

**Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph who had been declared off-limits."**

"That's a nice way of putting it." Chris laughed.

**"A wood nymph," I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.**

**"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time- well, she really was pretty, and I couldn't stay away- the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha.' Absolutely unfair."**

"Yeah." The demi gods said.

**Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.**

"He is."

"I would argue but I fear Athena and her spears." Dionysus said.

"Good idea." Athena said.

**"And ..." I stammered, "your father is ..."**

**"Di immortales,Chiron," Mr. D said. "I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is Zeus, of course."**

**I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine. The skin of a tiger. The satyrs that all seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.**

"No our boss." Grover said.

**"You're Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."**

Wine appeared in everyone's hands that was odd enough. "Sorry it does that." Dionysus said.

"It's fine one glass." Zeus warned. Dionysus smiled and slowly sipped.

**Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, duh!'?"**

**"Y-yes, Mr. D."**

**"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"**

Aphrodite glared. Dionysus cowered under her glare

**He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a strait-jacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.**

"I'm not so laid back as Apollo or Hermes." Dionysus said.

"Oh very true." Hermes and Apollo said.

**"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly.**

**"No. No, sir."**

**The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."**

"Hey I won for once." Dionysus said happily.

**"Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The game goes to me."**

"Never mind."

**I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. He got up, and Grover rose, too.**

**"I'm tired," Mr. D said.**

"Sore loser much?" Artemis asked.

"Sore yes, loser no." Dionysus said.

**"I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk,again,about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."**

**Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."**

**Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."**

"You should talk." Hades said.

**He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.**

**"Will Grover be okay?" I asked Chiron.**

"Thanks buddy." Grover said. Percy snored and everyone laughed softly.

**Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates his job. He's been ... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus."**

**"Mount Olympus," I said. "You're telling me there really is a palace there?"**

"Yep were in it Prissy." Clare said.

**"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there's the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do."**

**"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like ... in America?"**

"Can we skip this part?" Ares asked.

"No." Hermes phone rang. He took it out.

"Hermes you have a package to deliver." Martha said.

"Ok let me have the package." A package appeared in his hand. "Oh no."

"What?"

"I have to deliver a package to…" Hermes gulped "Khione." Everyone looked sorry.

"Good luck dude." Apollo said.

"Thanks." Hermes appeared in snow gear and disappeared.

"Ok, so I'll read it but no interrupting at all and it'll get done faster." Katie said.

"Fine." Ares said.

**"Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West."**

**"The what?"**

**"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization.' Do you think it's just an abstract concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know- or as I hope you know, since you passed my course- the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps- Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on- but the same forces, the same gods."**

**"And then they died."**

**"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture.**

**People do not forget the gods. Every place they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your symbol, the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not- and believe me, plenty of people weren't very fond of Rome, either**

**- America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are here."**

**It was all too much, especially the fact that I seemed to be included in Chiron's we,as if I were part of some club.**

"Now I want to start a club." Apollo said. Artemis smacked on the head.

**Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he were going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I knew that was impossible. He was paralyzed from the waist down.**

**"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to 'meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be smores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."**

"Mmm the best father figure you could have." Annabeth said.

**And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear, but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there's no way it could've held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.**

**I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's trunk.**

"Not funny Chiron." Percy said.

"He's not here went for a walk." Annabeth said.

**"What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."**

"That's then end." Aphrodite marked the page.


	8. Chapter 6

AN: Clarisse from the future is Clare and the past is Clarisse. Annabeth from the future is Anna, while the past is Annabeth.

* * *

"Its almost 5:30, after this chapter we'll eat dinner"Everyone nodded at Athena's suggestion.

"Who wants to read" Katie asked

"I think I'll read as long as nothing bad happens." Poseidon said.

Katie passed him the book. Then the room was engulfed with bright light, and there Sally Jackson, Clarisse, Annabeth and Chris of the future stood. You then went over to Poseidon and sat in front of him.

Poseidon opened the book and read the title **"I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom."**

The future demigods snickered.

**Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacherwas a horse, we had a nice tour, though I was careful not to walk behind him. I'd done pooper-scooper patrol in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade a few times, and, I'm sorry, I did not trust Chiron's back end the way I trusted his front.**

Everyone snickered as Chiron stumped his foot.

**We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the minotaur horn I was carrying. Another said, "That's him."**

**Most of the campers were older than me. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover, all of them trotting around in orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their bare shaggy hindquarters. I wasn't normally shy, but the way they stared at me made me uncomfortable. I felt like they were expecting me to do a flip or something.**

"Can you?" Apollo asked. Percy still being asleep snored.

**I looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than I'd realized—four stories tall, sky blue with white trim, like an upscale seaside resort. I was checking out the brass eagle weather vaneon top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable. Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being watched.**

"May." Hermes glared at Hades who looked everywhere but Hermes.

**"What's up there?" I asked Chiron.**

**He looked where I was pointing, and his smile faded. "Just the attic."**

**"Somebody lives there?"**

**"No," he said with finality. "Not a single living thing."**

"And whose fault is that?" Hermes asked.

"Ok I get it, sorry!" Hades said.

**I got the feeling he was being truthful. But I was also sure something had moved that curtain.**

**"Come along, Percy," Chiron said, his lighthearted tone now a little forced. "Lots to see."**

**We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.**

**Chiron told me the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."**

"Demeter kids rule at that." Katie said.

**He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those, so they grew strawberries instead.**

"I hate that." Dionysus mumbled. "Next time listen and you could still grow them." Zeus said.

**I watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire. I wondered if Grover could work that kind of magic with music.**

**I wondered if he was still inside the farmhouse, getting chewed out by Mr. D.**

"Most likely." Grover mumbled.

**"Grover won't get in too much trouble, will he?" I asked Chiron. "I mean ... he was a good protector. Really."**

"No truer words." The demi gods said.

**Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horses back like a saddle. "Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable.**

**Chiron sighed.**

**To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half-Blood Hill."**

"But he did that!" The demi gods said.

**"But he did that!"**

**"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge.**

"It should be." Thalia said.

**Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I'm afraid they might not see this assignment as a success. After all, Grover lost you in New York. Then there's the unfortunate ... ah ... fate of your mother.**

"What happen to me?" Sally asked.

"You were taken by Hades for some reason." Poseidon growled.

Hades was splashed. "Poseidon I let you punch me why'd you splash me?" Hades asked.

"I didn't." everyone looked at Percy who just snored.

"It's fine." Hades made a towel appear and started to dry himself off.

**And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."**

"Bull crap." Nico said.

Dionysus was splashed. "Percy or Poseidon?"

"Guilty." Percy said.

**"He'll get a second chance, won't he?"**

That was his/my second chance." Grover and Thalia said.

**Chiron winced. "I'm afraid that was Grover's second chance, Percy. The council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age..."**

**"How old is he?"**

**"Oh, twenty-eight."**

"Mmm you look great for your age." Aphrodite said. Grover blushed.

**"What! And he's in sixth grade?"**

**"Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past six years."**

**"That's horrible."**

**"Quite," Chiron agreed. "At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will find some other career..."**

**"That's not fair," I said. "What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?"**

"Yes." Thalia said crying softly. Zeus appeared human sized and hugged her.

"I'm sorry." Zeus said hugging her. Thalia hugged back and snuggled closer as she cried.

**Chiron looked away quickly. "Let's move along, shall we?"**

Chiron sighed.

**But I wasn't quite ready to let the subject drop. Something had occurred to me when Chiron talked about my mother's fate, as if he were intentionally avoiding the word death. The beginnings of an idea—a tiny, hopeful fire—started forming in my mind.**

"Oh no, I think I know what he's hoping." Hades said.

**"Chiron," I said. "If the gods and Olympus and all that are real ..."**

**"Yes, child?"**

**"Does that mean the Underworld is real, too?"**

"Please tell me he's not thinking what I think he's thinking." Poseidon said paling.

"He wants his mother back so I'm impressed of his courage." Hades said.

**Chiron's expression darkened.**

**"Yes, child." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now ... until we know more ... I would urge you to put that out of your mind."**

**"What do you mean, 'until we know more'?"**

**"Come, Percy. Let's see the woods."**

"Chiron." Apollo laughed as Chiron blushed.

**As we got closer, I realized how huge the forest was. It took up at least a quarter of the valley, with trees so tall and thick, you could imagine nobody had been in there since the Native Americans.**

**Chiron said, "The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed."**

**"Stocked with what?" I asked. "Armed with what?"**

**"You'll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"**

"I have to ask you'll be surprised on what demi gods bring." Chiron said.

"Yeah I did." Thalia, and Annabeth said.

**"My own—?"**

**"No," Chiron said. "I don't suppose you do. I think a size five will do. I'll visit the armory later."**

"Riptide and a lake will do me fine." Percy said in his sleep.

**I wanted to ask what kind of summer camp had an armory, but there was too much else to think about, so the tour continued. We saw the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to like very much), the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.**

**"Sword and spear fights?" I asked.**

**"Cabin challenges and all that," he explained. "Not lethal. Usually. Oh, yes, and there's the mess hall."**

"I know." Chiron said as Apollo opened his mouth.

**Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof. No walls.**

**"What do you do when it rains?" I asked.**

**Chiron looked at me as if I'd gone a little weird.**

"I was new can't blame me." Percy said waking up.

"I know, sorry." Chiron said.

**"We still have to eat, don't we?" I decided to drop the subject.**

**Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.**

"Yeah but if they looked alike that would be boring." Travis said.

**Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory.**

"Mine." Beckendorf and Hephaestus said.

**Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass.**

Katie smiled at her mother.

**Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at.**

"Only the best for my kids, who are all good looking.

**They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops (which were more my speed).**

**In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined fire pit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick.**

"You saw me." Hestia said smiling.

"Yeah." Percy said.

"Treating the flames?" Zeus asked. Hestia nodded at her younger brother.

**The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them.**

"How'd you do that?" Hermes asked. "Perks of being king." Zeus said.

**Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.**

"Mine." Hera said.

**"Zeus and Hera?" I guessed.**

**"Correct," Chiron said.**

**"Their cabins look empty."**

"Well mine is anyway." Hera said glaring at Zeus who just smiled.

**"Several of the cabins are. That's true. No one ever stays in one or two."**

**Okay. So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot.**

"That's one way of thinking about it." Artemis said. "Yeah." Apollo agreed.

**Twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians. But why would some be empty?**

**I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three.**

"Of course he would." Hades said

**It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor.**

"I love getting those." Poseidon said.

"I love getting them too." Percy said.

**I peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron said, "Oh, I wouldn't do that!"**

"Oh leave him alone, it's not like I'm going to blast my son." Poseidon said.

"With all respect I didn't know he was your son." Chiron said.

**Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone.**

"It's amazing there." Annabeth, Thalia, and Nico said.

"You all go in there?" Hades, Zeus and Athena asked.

"Yeah to hang out."

**There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."**

**Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.**

**Number five was bright red—a real nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with buckets and fists.**

Ares smiled at his daughters and gave them thumbs up.

**The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. Inside I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She zeroed in on me and gave me an evil sneer.**

**She reminded me of Nancy Bobofit, though the camper girl was much bigger and tougher looking, and her hair was long and stringy, and brown instead of red.**

**I kept walking, trying to stay clear of Chiron's hooves. "We haven't seen any other centaurs," I observed.**

**"No," said Chiron sadly. "My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I'm afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events. But you won't see any here."**

"Party ponies rule." Apollo, Hermes, Conner and Travis said.

**"You said your name was Chiron. Are you really ..."**

**He smiled down at me. "The Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, Percy, I am."**

"I hate him, he made Zoë feel pain." Artemis said.

"I'm not pleased with that ether." Zeus said.

"But, shouldn't you be dead?"

**"Well I don't know about should be." Chiron said.**

**Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. "I honestly don't know about should be. The truth is, I can't be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish ... and I gave up much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed."**

"And you always will be." The demi gods said hugging Chiron.

**I thought about being a teacher for three thousand years. It wouldn't have made my Top Ten Things to wish for list.**

**"Doesn't it ever get boring?"**

**"No, no," he said. "Horribly depressing, at times, but never boring."**

"Horribly depressing is right." Chiron mumbled.

**"Why depressing?"**

**Chiron seemed to turn hard of hearing again.**

**"Oh, look," he said. "Annabeth is waiting for us."**

**The blond girl I'd met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven.**

**When we reached her, she looked me over critically, like she was still thinking about how much I drooled.**

**I tried to see what she was reading, but I couldn't make out the title. I thought my dyslexia was acting up. Then I realized the title wasn't even English. The letters looked Greek to me. I mean, literally Greek.**

"It was Greek dork." Chris said.

**There were pictures of temples and statues and different kinds of columns, like those in an architecture book.**

**"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"**

**"Yes, sir."**

**"Cabin eleven," Chiron told me, gesturing toward the doorway. "Make yourself at home."**

**Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on old.**

"Is it really that bad?" Hermes asked.

"Yes." Travis said.

"Well next break after the beach I'll come down and fix it up a bit and try and make more room for you all."

"Cool thanks."

**The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did they call it... ?**

"A caduceus." Athena and Hermes said.

**A caduceus.**

Athena and Hermes blushed a little bit.

**Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross had set up an evacuation center.**

"See I rest my case we need cabins for the minor gods and goddess that why their children don't feel left out." Hermes said crossing his arms.

"Hermes don't push your luck." Zeus said.

"Fine Thena can you draw up some plans for my cabin that way there's room for all of them?"

"Of course." Athena said.

"Thank you, continue Uncle P."

**Chiron didn't go in. The door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him they all stood and bowed respectfully.**

**"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner."**

**He galloped away toward the archery range.**

**I stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They weren't bowing anymore. They were staring at me, sizing me up. I knew this routine. I'd gone through it at enough schools.**

"Most likely we were." Conner said.

**"Well?" Annabeth prompted. "Go on."**

**So naturally I tripped coming in the door and made a total fool of myself.**

"Naturally." Nico said. Percy glared at Nico.

**There were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything.**

**Annabeth announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."**

**"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.**

"I think it was Conner who said that." Percy said.

"It was." Annabeth said.

**I didn't know what to say, but Annabeth said, "Undetermined."**

**Everybody groaned.**

"See your making them suffer." Hermes said.

"I agree with him we could use cabins for the minor god and goddess it will be better." Hades said.

Zeus thought for a minute and nodded. "All right Athena you will be in charge of getting the plains for them." Zeus said.

"Yes Father but it could take some time." Athena said.

"We don't care more room for all of us and we'll be happy." Hermes kids said happily.

**The guy was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with short-cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with five different-colored clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.**

**"This is Luke," Annabeth said, and her voice sounded different somehow. I glanced over and could've sworn she was blushing.**

"Was not." Annabeth muttered.

**She saw me looking, and her expression hardened again. "He's your counselor for now."**

**"For now?" I asked.**

**"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."**

"Darn right I am, excuse me I have some packages to deliver be back soon." Hermes said disappearing.

**I looked at the tiny section of floor they'd given me. I had nothing to put there to mark it as my own, no luggage, no clothes, no sleeping bag. Just the Minotaur's horn. I thought about setting that down, but then I remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves.**

"Good idea son." Poseidon said smiling.

**I looked around at the campers' faces, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, some eyeing me as if they were waiting for a chance to pick my pockets.**

**"How long will I be here?" I asked.**

**"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."**

**"How long will that take?"**

**The campers all laughed.**

"Well hopefully that's going to change soon." Artemis said.

**"Come on," Annabeth told me. "I'll show you the volleyball court."**

**"I've already seen it."**

**"Come on." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. I could hear the kids of cabin eleven laughing behind me.**

**When we were a few feet away, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."**

"Oh she used the last name you're in trouble." Beckendorf said. "Oh be quiet Beckendorf." Annabeth said.

**"What?"**

**She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."**

**"What's your problem?" I was getting angry now. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy—"**

**"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth told me. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"**

"To get killed, I'd run." Katie said.

**"To get killed?"**

**"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"**

**I shook my head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories ..."**

**"Yes."**

**"Then there's only one."**

**"Yes."**

**"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So ..."**

**"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."**

"Way to confuse me." Connor said.

"You get confused to easily." Clarisse said.

**"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."**

"He has a point." Nico said. Putting his head on Percy's shoulder.

"Shut up Death breathe." Annabeth said.

"Hey only Thalia can call me Death Breathe."

**"They don't have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them arche types. Eventually, they re-form."**

**I thought about Mrs. Dodds. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword—"**

**"The Fur ... I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."**

"Oh very mad." Percy said sitting up, making Nico protest. And pulled Nico in his lap, who then shut on.

**"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"**

**"You talk in your sleep."**

**"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"**

"I won't call them that nephew, they might come up." Hades warned.

**Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground, as if she expected it to open up and swallow her.**

"Possible?" Conner and Travis asked.

"Oh very Possible but I doubt they'll do that to a daughter of Athena. They respect Athena more than anyone here but me and possibly Demeter being Persephone's mother." Hades said.

"So they fear Athena?" Demeter asked.

"Well they've seen her mad when they killed Serafina."

"Not pleased with that." Athena said sadly remembering her daughter.

**"You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."**

**"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" I sounded whiny, even to myself, but right then I didn't care.**

**"Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."**

**I pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale. "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or ... your parent."**

**She stared at me, waiting for me to get it.**

**"My mom is Sally Jackson," I said.**

"Not what I meant." Annabeth said.

**"She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."**

Hades didn't look guilty but deep in thought.

"Why don't you look guilty?" Demeter asked harshly.

"Trying to figure out why I would even take her I don't have anything against her even if he broke the oath. I wouldn't take a child's mother or father for no reason." Hades said still thinking. "And I'm sorry I did that."

Everyone but the future looked at him shocked and surprised he had a heart. "What? Just because I live in the darkest part of the world doesn't mean that I'm heartless."

**"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy. But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."**

**"He's dead. I never knew him."**

"Um last I checked right here Percy." Poseidon said.

"Sorry." Percy said.

**Annabeth sighed. Clearly, she'd had this conversation before with other kids.**

"And hate having it." Annabeth said. "Sorry I should be doing that." Chiron said.

**"Your father's not dead, Percy."**

**"How can you say that? You know him?"**

**"No, of course not."**

**"Then how can you say—"**

**"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."**

**"You don't know anything about me."**

**"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."**

**"How—"**

**"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."**

"You're going to embarrass him. Here Uncle Hades I have a letter for you." Hermes said appearing and then disappearing after giving the letter to Hades. Hades read the letter.

"I'll be back traffic jam down in the underworld." Hades said disappearing in shadows.

**I tried to swallow my embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?"**

"See." Hermes said appearing and giving Demeter roses. "From Persephone." Hermes disappeared again. Demeter made a vase appear and put the roses in there then sent it to her living room.

**"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD—you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battle field reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."**

"You scared us when you did that." Chris said. "Yeah." The other demi gods said.

**"You sound like ... you went through the same thing?"**

**"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."**

**"Ambrosia and nectar."**

**"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it. You're a half-blood."**

"Man you make it sound awesome." Silena said.

"Thanks." Annabeth said.

**A half-blood.**

**I was reeling with so many questions I didn't know where to start.**

**Then a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"**

**I looked over. The big girl from the ugly red cabin was sauntering toward us. She had three other girls behind her, all big and ugly and mean looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.**

"Mmm so Clarisse comes in now." Thaila smirked.

**"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"**

"Yeah right Miss Princess." Clarisse said.

**"Sure, Miss Princess," the big girl said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."**

**''Erre es korakas!" Annabeth said, which I somehow under stood was Greek for 'Go to the crows!' though I had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded. "You don't stand a chance."**

"Yeah no chance one bit." Ares grinned at Athena. "You're going down."

"Oh we'll see about that." Athena said.

**"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. Perhaps she wasn't sure she could follow through on the threat. She turned toward me. "Who's this little runt?"**

**"Percy Jackson," Annabeth said, "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."**

**I blinked. "Like ... the war god?"**

**Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"**

**"No," I said, recovering my wits. "It explains the bad smell."**

Why you little punk." Ares said as everyone but Clarisse laughed.

"NOT FUNNY!" They yelled.

**Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."**

**"Percy."**

**"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."**

**"Clarisse—" Annabeth tried to say.**

**"Stay out of it, wise girl."**

Athena flinched. "So that's how it started." The future demi gods said.

**Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it, and I didn't really want her help. I was the new kid. I had to earn my own rep.**

"And he did." Anna said smirking at Clarisse

**I handed Annabeth my minotaur horn and got ready to fight, but before I knew it, Clarisse had me by the neck and was dragging me toward a cinder-block building that I knew immediately was the bathroom.**

Chiron glared at the young war child who whistled innocently.

**I was kicking and punching. I'd been in plenty of fights before, but this big girl Clarisse had hands like iron.**

"Bet I do."

**She dragged me into the girls' bathroom. There was a line of toilets on one side and a line of shower stalls down the other. It smelled just like any public bathroom, and I was thinking—as much as I could think with Clarisse ripping my hair out—that if this place belonged to the gods, they should've been able to afford classier johns.**

**Clarisse's friends were all laughing, and I was trying to find the strength I'd used to fight the Minotaur, but it just wasn't there.**

**"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed me toward one of the toilets.**

"Funny because he is." Poseidon and Athena said. The two blushed.

**"Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking."**

Annabeths punched Clarisse hard on the arm.

"OW!" She said rubbing their arm.

"Not stupid looking."

"Ok ow that hurt."

"Good."

**Her friends snickered.**

**Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her fingers.**

**Clarisse bent me over on my knees and started pushing my head toward the toilet bowl. It reeked like rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. I strained to keep my head up. I was looking at the scummy water, thinking, I will not go into that. I won't.**

"Stubborn." Zeus said.

"Hey gets that from me." Poseidon said.

**Then something happened. I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach.**

Clarisse sunk down father intel she was on the floor. Poseidon laughed.

"What's so funny?" Ares asked growling.

"Your daughter is about to get it." Poseidon laughed.

**I heard the plumbing rumble, the pipes shudder. Clarisse's grip on my hair loosened. Water shot out of the toilet, making an arc straight over my head, and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the bathroom tiles with Clarisse screaming behind me.**

Clarisse put her head in her hands as everyone but Chris and Ares laughed.

**I turned just as water blasted out of the toilet again, hitting Clarisse straight in the face so hard it pushed her down onto her butt**

Chris grabbed Clarisse's hand and squeezed it.

**The water stayed on her like the spray from a fire hose, pushing her backward into a shower stall.**

**She struggled, gasping, and her friends started coming toward her.**

**But then the other toilets exploded, too, and six more streams of toilet water blasted them back. The showers acted up, too, and together all the fixtures sprayed the camouflage girls right out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of garbage being washed away.**

"Never mess with my kids." Poseidon said.

**As soon as they were out the door, I felt the tug in my gut lessen, and the water shut off as quickly as it had started.**

**The entire bathroom was flooded. Annabeth hadn't been spared.**

"You couldn't spear her could you?" Athena asked. Looking at Percy.

"Sorry I hadn't any good control over my powers can't blame me." Percy said.

**She was dripping wet, but she hadn't been pushed out the door. She was standing in exactly the same place, staring at me in shock.**

**I looked down and realized I was sitting in the only dry spot in the whole room. There was a circle of dry floor around me. I didn't have one drop of water on my clothes. Nothing.**

"Sweet." Chris said.

**I stood up, my legs shaky.**

**Annabeth said, "How did you ..."**

**"I don't know."**

**We walked to the door. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud, and a bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her face. Her camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage. She gave me a look of absolute hatred. "You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."**

Funny Clarisse I'm still here." Percy said.

"Shut it Prissy." Clare said through her knees.

**I probably should have let it go, but I said, "You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth."**

"Nice come back." Hermes said appearing and giving Hestia a letter. "From Khione." Hestia took the letter and just buried it with her hand. Hermes disappeared.

**Her friends had to hold her back. They dragged her toward cabin five, while the other campers made way to avoid her flailing feet.**

**Annabeth stared at me. I couldn't tell whether she was just grossed out or angry at me for dousing her.**

**"What?" I demanded. "What are you thinking?"**

**"I'm thinking," she said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."**

"Who wants to read next?" Poseidon asked marking the page.

"I will, but let's eat first" Chris said.


	9. Dinner & Chapter 7

Everyone headed towards the kitchen

But,Percy the was first into the kitchen. When everyone got there, the kitchen was a complete mess.

"Wow dude really?" Nico asked.

"Yep sorry where's the blue food die?" Percy asked. Athene walked up to a cabinet and took out blue food die.

"Here, you're more destructive your Father." Athena handed the food die to Percy.

"Thank you and I know." Percy washed everything and made everything go back into the right place. Percy finished his blue pizza and started to share with Nico.

"Can I try a slice?" Hermes asked.

"Sure." Percy handed a slice to Hermes and he took bit.

"Mmm good." Hermes said going to sit next to his sons. Nico sat in Percy's lap as they kissed and Athena got some more pizzas for everyone else. As soon as dinner was over they went back to the throne room and sat down.

* * *

"**My Dinner Goes up in Smoke."** Chris read.

**Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately. Wherever I went, campers pointed at me and murmured something about toilet water. Or maybe they were just staring at Annabeth, who was still pretty much dripping wet.**

"Eww you could have tried her off." Aphrodite said.

**She showed me a few more places: the metal shop(where kids were forging their own swords), the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goat-man),**

"It's Pan not goat boy he'd hate it, if you called him that." Grover said.

**and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava, and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.**

"I hate that thing." Most of the demi gods said.

"Hey I built it." Hephaestus said.

**Finally we returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.**

**"I've got training to do," Annabeth said flatly. "Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."**

**"Annabeth, I'm sorry about the toilets."**

**"Whatever."**

**She looked at me skeptically, and I realized it was my fault. I'd made water shoot out of the bathroom fixtures. I didn't understand how. But the toilets had responded to me. I had become one with the plumbing.**

"Man think if Percy started a plumbing business, he'd be rich." Chris said.

"Yeah not happening, I'd like it better to teach Marine biology." Percy said.

"You do know you'd have to go to college right?' Athena said.

"Yeah but I love it and it's something I can do right and not mess up. Besides I study it."

Athena looked impressed.

**"You need to talk to the Oracle," Annabeth said.**

**"Who?"**

**"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron."**

"May is not a what she's a who." Hermes said. Then Hermes disappeared.

**I stared into the lake, wishing somebody would give me a straight answer for once.**

"Got a point, hate it when they don't do that." Clarisse said.

**I wasn't expecting anybody to be looking back at me from the bottom, so my heart skipped a beat when I noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about twenty feet below.**

**They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved as if I were a long-lost friend.**

"They are." Poseidon and Percy said.

"Might as well be." Artemis said.

"Hey I think they knew he was Uncle P's son before anyone else knew." Apollo said.

**I didn't know what else to do. I waved back.**

"Um I wouldn't do that son." Poseidon said.

"Why?" Ares asked.

**"Don't encourage them," Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."**

"That's why." Percy said.

**"Naiads," I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. "That's it. I want to go home now."**

"So you freak out with the Naiads and not anything else?" Conner asked.

"Yeah." Percy said.

**Annabeth frowned. "Don't you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."**

**"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"**

"We're not mentally disturbed kids!" The demi gods said.

"Sorry but in the normal eyes we are and I was still getting use to the information." Percy said.

**"I mean not human. Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."**

**"Half-human and half-what?"**

"I think you know hero." Hestia said poking the flames.

**"I think you know."**

**I didn't want to admit it, but I was afraid I did. I felt a tingling in my limbs, a sensation I sometimes felt when my mom talked about my dad.**

**"God," I said. "Half-god."**

**Annabeth nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."**

**"That's ... crazy."**

**"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?"**

"No." The females said.

"Don't even, you do it too but Artemis, Hestia and Persephone." The males said.

**"But those are just—" I almost said myths again. Then I remembered Chiron's warning that in two thousand years, I might be considered a myth.**

**"But if all the kids here are half-gods—"**

**"Demigods," Annabeth said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."**

"'Cause we rock." Nico said. Putting his head on Percy's shoulder and closed his eyes.

**"Then who's your dad?"**

**Her hands tightened around the pier railing. I got the feeling I'd just trespassed on a sensitive subject.**

"Very." Annabeth said.

**"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."**

**"Who's your mom, then?"**

**"Cabin six."**

"How is he to know that?" Hera asked.

**"Meaning?"**

**Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."**

Athena smiled at her daughter. "Couldn't be more proud."

**Okay, I thought. Why not?**

"It's new to me so ha-ha can't get mad." Percy said.

"He has a point. Anna" Thalia said.

**"And my dad?"**

**"Undetermined," Annabeth said, "like I told you before. Nobody knows."**

**"Except my mother. She knew."**

"Oh I know all right." Sally said.

**"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."**

"I didn't have to when we were alone she said and I quote "Thanks for the tour Poseidon." And she left but not until after I asked her out." Poseidon explained.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out who you really were." Sally said.

**"My dad would have. He loved her."**

**Annabeth gave me a cautious look. She didn't want to burst my bubble.**

"So glad I didn't open my mouth." Anna said.

**"Maybe you're right. Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens."**

**"You mean sometimes it doesn't?"**

Those who didn't claim their kids looked down.

"And that's how the war started in the first place." Thalia thought.

**Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. "The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always ... Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us."**

"Do you all really feel that way?" Hera asked.

"Yeah." The past demi gods said.

"Not anymore, things changed, you all visit all of us and have fun like football." The future demi gods said.

"We need to do more stuff like that make them know we care and love for them." Hermes said giving Athena a package. "Art things."

"Thank you." Athena said putting the box down on to the floor carefully.

Hermes smiled and disappeared again.

"Man you people need to let dad take a break everyone once in awhile." Chris said.

"Yeah." Travis and Conner said.

**"So I'm stuck here," I said. "That's it? For the rest of my life?"**

**"It depends," Annabeth said. "Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force.**

The four glared at Anna. "NO I mean they don't give a powerful enough saint to keep them in camp year round. I'm not saying you're not powerful." Anna said.

They smiled.

**The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off.**

Everyone looked down with sorrow for those who didn't make it.

**A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."**

**"So monsters can't get in here?"**

**Annabeth shook her head. "Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside."**

**"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?"**

"Luke nearly casted Percy's life." Anna thought.

**"Practice fights. Practical jokes."**

"Never again. Chiron was furious and it was scary." Travis and Conner said.

"Don't ever do that boys the joke is only funny when it doesn't hurt." Hermes said giving a letter to Artemis. "From Zoe."

"Thank you Hermes." Artemis said.

Hermes sat down and slouched breathing a sigh of relief then yelled "Come on I just sat down!" as his phone went off again. Hermes disappeared.

**"Practical jokes?"**

"Sorry." Conner and Travis said.

**"The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm."**

**"So ... you're a year-rounder?"**

**Annabeth nodded. From under the collar of her T-shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five clay beads of different colors. It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also had a big gold ring strung on it, like a college ring.**

**"I've been here since I was seven," she said. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the counselors, and they're all in college."**

**"Why did you come so young?"**

"Again trespassing on a sensitive subject." Annabeth said.

**She twisted the ring on her necklace. "None of your business."**

"No need to snap." Apollo said.

"Sorry." Anna said.

**"Oh." I stood there for a minute in uncomfortable silence. "So ... I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"**

"Not a smart move." Dionysus said.

**"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session unless ..."**

**"Unless?"**

**"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time …"**

**Her voice trailed off. I could tell from her tone that the last time hadn't gone well.**

"No lost my daughter because of my brother." Zeus growled.

"Other brother." Poseidon said.

**"Back in the sick room," I said, "when you were feeding me that stuff—"**

**"Ambrosia."**

**"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."**

**Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "So you do know something?"**

**"No not really." Percy said.**

**"Well... no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"**

**She clenched her fists.**

**"I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so normal."**

"Which is now." Annabeth said.

**"You've been to Olympus?"**

**"Some of us year-rounders—Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others—we took a field trip during winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."**

**"But... how did you get there?"**

**"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six hundredth floor." She looked at me like she was sure I must know this already.**

"Sorry about that." Annabeth said.

"It's fine." Percy said.

**"You are a New Yorker, right?"**

"Thousands of New Yorkers don't know about that." Nico smirked.

"Oh shut up." Thalia said.

**"Oh, sure." As far as I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building, but I decided not to point that out.**

**"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen.**

Zeus thought for a minute and then yelled. "WHO STOLE THE MASTER BOLT?"

"Don't even think it was Percy." Poseidon growled.

"If it was, we would know you did!"

Poseidon and Zeus stood up and were going to start fighting.

"Don't even think about having a war!" Athena and Hera yelled.

"You stole it!" Zeus yelled.

"I did not!" Poseidon yelled.

"ENOUGH!" Athena yelled kicking both men where the sun doesn't shine.

They groaned and sat down.

"The both of you need to grow up, the children are acting better than you. Father you have no proof that Percy stole the bolt and Poseidon you don't have to over act just say calmly that Percy didn't steal the bolt and explain that he doesn't even know about us."

"Did you really have to kick us?" Zeus and Poseidon groaned out.

"Yes and sorry I had to, but you two were not going to have a war with myself in the middle."

"Sorry."

"By lucky you didn't get a spear." Dionysus said.

"This is true." Zeus and Poseidon said.

**And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping ... I mean— Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares.**

Athena and Ares glared.

**And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon.**

**But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."**

**I shook my head. I wished I could help her,**

Percy got smiles from Annabeth and Athena.

**but I felt too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions.**

"Of course." Artemis said.

**"I've got to get a quest," Annabeth muttered to herself. "I'm not too young. If they would just tell me the problem …"**

"Too young and I wish you wouldn't go." Athena said.

**I could smell barbecue smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Annabeth must've heard my stomach growl. She told me to go on, she'd catch me later. I left her on the pier, tracing her finger across the rail as if drawing a battle plan.**

**Back at cabin eleven, everybody was talking and horsing around, waiting for dinner. For the first time, I noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles. They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers. Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to me as I walked over to my spot on the floor and plopped down with my minotaur horn.**

**The counselor, Luke, came over. He had the Hermes family resemblance, too. It was marred by that scar on his right cheek, but his smile was intact.**

**"Found you a sleeping bag," he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."**

"That's my boy." Hermes said give flowers to Hestia. "Burn, Oceanus."

Hestia burned the floors and Hermes disappeared again.

**I couldn't tell if he was kidding about the stealing part.**

**I said, "Thanks."**

**"No prob." Luke sat next to me, pushed his back against the wall. "Tough first day?"**

**"I don't belong here," I said. "I don't even believe in gods."**

"None of did at first." The demi gods said.

**"Yeah," he said. "That's how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It doesn't get any easier."**

**The bitterness in his voice surprised me, because Luke seemed like a pretty easygoing guy. He looked like he could handle just about anything.**

**"So your dad is Hermes?" I asked.**

**He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket, and for a second I thought he was going to gut me,**

"Better not." Poseidon and Nico said.

**but he just scraped the mud off the sole of his sandal. "Yeah. Hermes."**

**"The wing-footed messenger guy."**

"Not the best way to describe him but better then a cherub." Apollo smirked.

"Will you drop that all ready?" Dionysus said.

**"That's him. Messengers. Medicine. Travelers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That's why you're here, enjoying cabin eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors."**

**I figured Luke didn't mean to call me a nobody. He just had a lot on his mind.**

"Yeah to take you down." Clare thought.

**"You ever meet your dad?" I asked.**

**"Once."**

Thalia and Anna flinched.

**I waited, thinking that if he wanted to tell me, he'd tell me. Apparently, he didn't. I wondered if the story had anything to do with how he got his scar.**

**Luke looked up and managed a smile. "Don't worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they're mostly good people. After all, we're extended family, right? We take care of each other."**

"Ohana is very important." Poseidon said.

"Ohana?" Aphrodite asked.

"It means family in Hawaiian."

"Oh."

**He seemed to understand how lost I felt, and I was grateful for that, because an older guy like him—even if he was a counselor—should've steered clear of an uncool middle-schooler like me. But Luke had welcomed me into the cabin. He'd even stolen me some toiletries, which was the nicest thing anybody had done for me all day.**

Hermes appeared with a grim look on his face. "Khione is coming to visit Hades."

Hestia made the room a little bit warmer.

"Hestia calm down the room's getting warmer." Demeter said.

Hestia blushed as she calmed down. "Sorry I really don't like her."

The room got colder and Khione was there.

All the demi god boys but Nico, Chiron and Percy mouth's dropped at her hotness.

"Hello." Khione said. "Oh man." Chris said.

"I-it's cold." Clarisse said. Hestia made the room warmer.

"Make it so it's not so cold in here or you'll make the children sick." Hestia and Apollo said.

Khione rolled her eyes but made it a little less cold. Hestia made it a little less warm.

Hermes sat down and sighed.

"Welcome Khione take a set and Chris continue reading." Hera said. Khione took a set ion Hades thrown and Artemis continued.

**I decided to ask him my last big question, the one that had been bothering me all afternoon. "Clarisse, from Ares, was joking about me being 'Big Three' material. Then Annabeth ... twice, she said I might be 'the one.' She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about?"**

**Luke folded his knife. "I hate prophecies."**

"We all do." The demi gods said.

"But we'd never meet Rachael if we didn't." Nico said.

The future demi gods nodded and smiled.

**"What do you mean?"**

**His face twitched around the scar. "Let's just say I messed things up for everybody else. The last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron hasn't allowed any more quests.**

"Boo Chiron we want quests." The past demi gods said.

"Sorry, but you do have quests for a while until the books take place I guess." Chiron said.

**Annabeth's been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He'd had a prophecy from the Oracle. He wouldn't tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn't destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until...somebody special came to the camp."**

**"Somebody special?"**

**"Don't worry about it, kid," Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for. Now, come on, it's dinnertime."**

**The moment he said it, a horn blew in the distance. Somehow, I knew it was a conch shell, even though I'd never heard one before.**

**Luke yelled, "Eleven, fall in!"**

**The whole cabin, about twenty of us, filed into the commons yard. We lined up in order of seniority, so of course I was dead last. Campers came from the other cabins, too, except for the three empty cabins at the end, and cabin eight, which had looked normal in the daytime, but was now starting to glow silver as the sun went down.**

**We marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined us from the meadow. Naiads emerged from the canoeing lake. A few other girls came out of the woods— and when I say out of the woods, I mean straight out of the woods. I saw one girl, about nine or ten years old, melt from the side of a maple tree and come skipping up the hill.**

"Reminds me of Jupiter." Grover said.

"Grover has a crush." Silena said.

Grover blushed "Actually she's my girlfriend"

**In all, there were maybe a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted wood nymphs and naiads.**

**At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple. Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was way overcrowded. I had to squeeze on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.**

"Hopefully not anymore." Hermes said.

**I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr. D. Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small for a centaur.**

**Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her gray eyes and honey-blond hair.**

Athena smiled at her children.

"I love how you look like all of your children." Aphrodite said.

**Clarisse sat behind me at Ares's table. She'd apparently gotten over being hosed down, because she was laughing and belching right alongside her friends.**

**Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"**

**Everybody else raised their glasses. "To the gods!"**

**Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and yes, barbecue! My glass was empty, but Luke said, "Speak to it. Whatever you want—nonalcoholic, of course."**

Dionysus sighed.

**I said, "Cherry Coke."**

**The glass filled with sparkling caramel liquid.**

**Then I had an idea. "Blue Cherry Coke."**

Sally smiled.

**The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt.**

**I took a cautious sip. Perfect.**

**I drank a toast to my mother.**

Sally cried a little bit.

**She's not gone, I told myself. Not permanently, anyway. She's in the Underworld. And if that's a real place, then someday...**

"Oh no tell me he isn't?" Sally asked.

"He is." Poseidon said sadly.

"Oh I blame you and your loyalty."

"I know so do I."

Poseidon and Sally were splashed.

Everyone laughed and Poseidon dried them off.

**"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.**

**I loaded my plate and was about to take a big bite when I noticed everybody getting up, carrying their plates toward the fire in the center of the pavilion.**

**I wondered if they were going for dessert or something.**

**"Come on," Luke told me.**

**As I got closer, I saw that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping it into the fire, the ripest straw berry, the juiciest slice of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll.**

**Luke murmured in my ear, "Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell."**

"Yes we do and I'm hungry." Apollo said.

"You just ate dinner." Artemis said.

"So"

Artemis just sighed.

**"You're kidding."**

**His look warned me not to take this lightly, but I couldn't help wondering why an immortal, all-powerful being would like the smell of burning food.**

"We do, but we like Athena's cooking a whole lot better." Hermes said. Everyone but Khione agreed.

**Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."**

**I was next.**

**I wished I knew what god's name to say.**

"Sorry." Poseidon said.

"Its fine dad now stop before Mom smacks you head." Percy said. Poseidon looked to see Sally's hand raised.

"I will to." Sally said.

"The sad thing is I know you will." Poseidon said smiling.

**Finally, I made a silent plea. Whoever you are, tell me. Please.**

"I will." Poseidon thought.

**I scraped a big slice of brisket into the flames.**

**When I caught a whiff of the smoke, I didn't gag.**

**It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled of hot chocolate and fresh-baked brownies, hamburgers on the grill and wildflowers, and a hundred other good things that shouldn't have gone well together, but did. I could almost believe the gods could live off that smoke.**

"Not really we just like it's smell, it's Athena's food we live on." Hephaestus said.

**When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention.**

**Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats.**

The gods glared.

"Don't, it wouldn't be camp if he didn't and it's fun because the Stoll get pay back and we get a show of him running after them." Katie laughed.

"Thank you Katie." Dionysus said.

The demi gods were shocked.

"He got your name right." They whispered.

"I know." Katie whispered.

**Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."**

**A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.**

Ares smirked.

**"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."**

**Chiron murmured something.**

**"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."**

"Yah my kids sing now." Apollo said smiling happily.

**Everybody cheered. We all headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along.**

"Who else would." Artemis said.

**We sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around, and the funny thing was, I didn't feel that anyone was staring at me anymore. I felt that I was home.**

**Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the conch horn blew again, and we all filed back to our cabins. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I collapsed on my borrowed sleeping bag.**

**My fingers curled around the Minotaur's horn. I thought about my mom, but I had good thoughts: her smile, the bedtime stories she would read me when I was a kid, the way she would tell me not to let the bedbugs bite.**

"Wished my mom could do that." Clarisse mumbled.

**When I closed my eyes, I fell asleep instantly.**

**That was my first day at Camp Half-Blood.**

**I wish I'd known how briefly I would get to enjoy my new home.**

"Oh no." Poseidon and Sally said.

Chris marked the book. "Who's next."


	10. Chapter 8

AN: I have to go to somewhere tomorrow, so I might not be able to update, though I will try to.~NicoDiAngeloLover7

AN: I really appreciate _"Magicdemi-god223" _for allowing me to use the part I just added.~NicoDiAngeloLover7

* * *

"I will" And Chris gives his girlfriend the book.

**"We Capture a Flag"** Read Clare. Who then groaned, remembering what happened.

**The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you don't count the fact that I was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur.**

"Sounds normal to me." Smirked Travis. "What about you esteemed brother of mine?"

"O I quite agree Travis, I quite agree." Replied Connor

**Each morning I took Ancient Greek from Annabeth, and we talked about the gods and goddesses in the present tense, which was kind of weird. I discovered Annabeth was right about my dyslexia: Ancient Greek wasn't that hard for me to read. At least, no harder than English.**

"Seriously, why does everything have to be in ancient Greek?" Complained Nico. "Really would it be too much to ask to have things in English?"

"Yes." Athena stated simply.

"But why?"

"Because I knew one day that my Uncle would sire a hero who would have a hard time reading ancient Greek and I knew it would bring me enjoyment to watch you struggle Nico." Everyone just stared at Athena. Did she just try to tell a joke? Albeit it was a bad one but still a joke none the less.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" Questioned Athena. Finally Annabeth broke the silence, "You just told a joke mom." Annabeth spoke each word slowly to try and get through to her mom.

"It was a terrible joke but a joke all the same I guess." Nico grumbled until Athena set a large owl to attack Nico.

"Clarisse, if you would please continue."

**After a couple of mornings, I could stumble through a few lines of Homer without too much headache.**

**The rest of the day, I'd rotate through outdoor activities, looking for something I was good at. Chiron tried to teach me archery,**

"This won't turn out well." Poseidon commented.

"Why brother do you not have faith in your son?" Questioned Zeus with a smirk on his face.

"You have seen me with a bow and you know well enough that my children are just as hopeless as I am."

"Good to see you have admitted you are hopeless fish face." Smirked Athena.

"You know I meant with a bow." Growled the Lord of the Sea.

**but we found out pretty quick I wasn't any good with a bow and arrow. He didn't complain, even when he had to desnag a stray arrow out of his tail.**

Chiron just sighed and shook his head. Percy noticed and sent him an apologetic smile.

**Foot racing? No good either. The wood-nymph instructors left me in the dust. They told me not to worry about it. They'd had centuries of practice running away from lovesick gods.**

"HEY, were not lovesick." Cried all the male Olympians.

**But still, it was a little humiliating to be slower than a tree.**

**And wrestling? Forget it. Every time I got on the mat, Clarisse would pulverize me.**

"Got that right punk." Sneered Clarisse.

**"There's more where that came from, punk," she'd mumble in my ear.**

"I don't think she appreciated the bath of sewer water you gave her," Nico chuckled.

Clarisse got up like she was going to hit Nico but he saw this and summoned a pair of skeletons from the ground and shot her a look that said Do you really think this will work out for you? So instead she just went back to mumbling threats under her breathe.

**The only thing I really excelled at was canoeing, and that wasn't the kind of heroic skill people expected to see from the kid who had beaten the Minotaur.**

"Umm Percy I don't think that's much of a heroic skill in general."

"Thanks Beckendorf I never noticed." Percy replied sarcastically, but in all honesty he was happy he was able to talk to an old friend again.

**I knew the senior campers and counselors were watching me, trying to decide who my dad was, but they weren't having an easy time of it. I wasn't as strong as the Ares kids,**

"Got that right punk, you better watch yourself."

**or as good at archery as the Apollo kids.**

"It's Ok Percy, my kids are the best."

"Pah my hunters are much better than your children."

"No way sis. My kids are the best you're just jealous of their awesomeness." Artemis rolled her eyes at her brother but wouldn't back down.

"You're just jealous that my hunters would beat your sons in a competition. If we were to have an archery contest my hunters would dominate your sons." Retorted Artemis.

"Actually I think my sons would enjoy being dominated by your hunters." Smirked Apollo. "But isn't the whole no boy thing kind of a big selling point with your ladies Arty?"

"APOLLO. YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT. AND DON'T CALL ME ARTY!" With that Artemis jumped on Apollo and started to hit him in the head repeatedly.

All of the male gods were laughing at what Apollo had implied while the goddesses rolled their eyes at their male counterparts childness. Percy was laughing about what was said and was trying to keep Thalia from choking him to death. Nico had a small smirk on his face but he was determined not to have Thalia attack him as well. None of the campers got what was so funny.

Finally Travis spoke up "I don't get what's so funny? I mean why would the Apollo cabin being dominated by the hunters be funny. They dominate all the cabins whenever they come to camp. It would be awesome to dominate them for once."

When he finished Percy and Nico were laughing all that much harder, and Thalia was looking like she was going to electrocute them both very soon. When Chiron saw Travis was about to speak some more he cried out, "Clarisse please continue reading." All the demi-gods were still confused but Clarisse did as she was asked.

**I didn't have Hephaestus's skill with metalwork**

"Not many do." Hephaestus replied gruffly but then he sent a smile towards Beckendorf which he returned.

**or—gods forbid— Dionysus's way with vine plants.**

Dionysus just glared at Percy while mumbling about bratty children.

**Luke told me I might be a child of Hermes, a kind of jack-of-all-trades, master of none.**

Hermes looked at the ground sadly at that while Travis and Connor frowned at what their brother had said about their dad and in extension themselves.

**But I got the feeling he was just trying to make me feel better. He really didn't know what to make of me either.**

**Despite all that, I liked camp. I got used to the morning fog over the beach, the smell of hot strawberry fields in the afternoon, even the weird noises of monsters in the woods at night.**

"I'm still not used to that." Grumbled Nico.

"It's ok love, not everyone can be as awesome as me." Nico did the mature thing and stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend.

**I would eat dinner with cabin eleven, scrape part of my meal into the fire, and try to feel some connection to my real dad. Nothing came. Just that warm feeling I'd always had, like the memory of his smile.**

Poseidon shot a smile at his son.

**I tried not to think too much about my mom, but I kept wondering: if gods and monsters were real, if all this magical stuff was possible, surely there was some way to save her, to bring her back...**

**I started to understand Luke's bitterness and how he seemed to resent his father, Hermes. So okay, maybe gods had important things to do. But couldn't they call once in a while, or thunder, or something? Dionysus could make Diet Coke appear out of thin air. Why couldn't my dad, whoever he was, make a phone appear?**

"I would if I could son. It seems your uncle thinks we don't need to visit our children."

Zeus just sighed, "Peace brother we have been over this and I will not change my views."

The campers looked at the floor unhappily at that statement. However Annabeth noticed the smug look that flashed across Percy's face and the amused looks that Nico and Thalia had.

**Thursday afternoon, three days after I'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood, I had my first sword-fighting lesson. Everybody from cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke would be our instructor.**

**We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armor. I guess I did okay. At least, I understood what I was supposed to do and my reflexes were good.**

"The joy of being my son, son."

**The problem was, I couldn't find a blade that felt right in my hands. Either they were too heavy, or too light, or too long.**

Nico looked confused at that because he knew how much Percy loved Riptide and how amazing of a fighter Percy was.

**Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the practice blades seemed to work for me.**

"Man up wuss." Sneered Ares.

**We moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced he would be my partner, since this was my first time.**

Travis, Connor, and(past) Chris all started to laugh at that since they all have had to practice with Luke at one point or another.

**"Good luck," one of the campers told me. "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."**

"That was you Travis." Percy remarked while Travis just smirked back.

**"Maybe he'll go easy on me," I said.**

All the campers, Thalia, and most of the Olympians snorted at that.

**The camper snorted.**

**Luke showed me thrusts and parries and shield blocks the hard way. With every swipe, I got a little more battered and bruised. "Keep your guard up, Percy," he'd say, then whap me in the ribs with the flat of his blade. "No, not that far up!" Whap! "Lunge!" Whap! "Now, back!" Whap!**

"Atta boy Luke!" Cheered Hermes while Percy and Poseidon rolled their eyes.

**By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler. Luke poured ice water on his head, which looked like such a good idea, I did the same.**

Now both Percy and Poseidon had a smirk on his face and it left Hermes no longer cheering.

**Instantly, I felt better. Strength surged back into my arms. The sword didn't feel so awkward.**

Hermes knew what was going to happen and all he could do was mumble about cheating.

**"Okay, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little demo."**

**Great, I thought. Let's all watch Percy get pounded.**

"O how I love watching you get pounded seaweed brain." Thalia stated with a happy smile. Percy rolled his eyes , "Such nice cousins I have."

**The Hermes guys gathered around. They were suppressing smiles. I figured they'd been in my shoes before and couldn't wait to see how Luke used me for a punching bag. He told everybody he was going to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon.**

"That's a good move to teach." Remarked Ares.

**"This is difficult," he stressed. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."**

Clarisse spoke up for the first time in a while and boldly said, "It only took me a week to master that move." Ares beamed with pride that his daughter was a deadly fighter.

Thalia was looking at her clearly unimpressed, "Only took me 3 days." Now it was Zeus's turn to look smugly at his daughter. Annabeth was looking at Thalia in awe that she was able to get that move in such a short amount of time.

**He demonstrated the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword clattered out of my hand.**

**"Now in real time," he said, after I'd retrieved my weapon. "We keep sparring until one of us pulls it off. Ready, Percy?"**

"I like ya Percy but I can't wait to hear about how Luke owns you." Laughed Travis until Katie reached out and hit him with the book. Apollo and Hephaestus leaned into each other and whispered something to each other.

**I nodded, and Luke came after me. Somehow, I kept him from getting a shot at the hilt of my sword. My senses opened up. I saw his attacks coming. I countered. I stepped forward and tried a thrust of my own. Luke deflected it easily, but I saw a change in his face. His eyes narrowed, and he started to press me with more force.**

All the demi-gods looked startled at what was going on in the story.

**The sword grew heavy in my hand. The balance wasn't right.**

"Weakling." Grumbled Ares while Hermes shouted, "Get him Luke!"

**I knew it was only a matter of seconds before Luke took me down, so I figured, What the heck?**

**I tried the disarming maneuver.**

**My blade hit the base of Luke's and I twisted, putting my whole weight into a downward thrust.**

**Clang.**

"Clang?" Questioned the three boy from Hermes cabin, Thalia, and Annabeth.

All Percy could do was respond with "Clang."

**Luke's sword rattled against the stones.**

"Atta boy Percy!" Yelled Poseidon. "Ha. Pay up Apollo." Apollo reluctantly handed Hephaestus a handful of drachma. Thalia looked utterly shocked that Percy was able to hit that move the first try against Luke and all the campers were thinking something along the same lines.

"O Thalia, Clarisse." Percy looked very smug before he added the last bit, "First try." This time Poseidon was looking smug while Ares and Zeus both were looking at Percy in interest.

**The tip of my blade was an inch from his undefended chest.**

**The other campers were silent.**

Just like the campers were at the moment.

**I lowered my sword. "Um, sorry."**

This seemed to snap most of them out of their funk. "Really Perce you apologize?"

"What do you want from me I just disarmed the best swordsmen the camp had seen in 300 years."

"Second best." Nico coughed at the same time (past)Annabeth rolled her eyes, smiled, and said, "O Seaweed Brain."

**For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak.**

"I bet he was." Grumbled Hermes.

**"Sorry?" His scarred face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!"**

**I didn't want to. The short burst of manic energy had completely abandoned me. But Luke insisted.**

**This time, there was no contest. The moment our swords connected, Luke hit my hilt and sent my weapon skidding across the floor.**

**After a long pause, somebody in the audience said, "Beginner's luck?"**

"That was you Chris." Replied Percy with a smile.

"Well at least we know fish face is weak without water." Thalia smirked at the end while Percy stuck his tongue out at her, you know the mature thing to do.

**Luke wiped the sweat off his brow. He appraised at me with an entirely new interest. "Maybe," he said. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword..."**

"He becomes pure destruction, terror, unbeatable." At the end of that Nico ended up shuddering still remembering what he did to his father's skeleton troops when he first got out of the River Styx. Then leans into Percy All the campers from the past and Olympians were staring at Percy now wondering what types of fights Percy gets in, in the future. Of course all of the attention that he was receiving made him start to blush until Clarisse remembered she was supposed to be reading.

**Friday afternoon, I was sitting with Grover at the lake, resting from a near-death experience on the climbing wall.**

"Come on, the wall is not that dangerous," (past)Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"I don't think it's dangerous at all," Grover said.

"Speak for yourself," Nico said, he really hated that wall.

**Grover had scampered to the top like a mountain goat, but the lava had almost gotten me. My shirt had smoking holes in it. The hairs had been singed off my forearms.**

"Stupid wall." Grumbled Percy, Nico, and surprisingly Beckendorf.

**We sat on the pier, watching the naiads do underwater basket-weaving, until I got up the nerve to ask Grover how his conversation had gone with Mr. D.**

**His face turned a sickly shade of yellow.**

**"Fine," he said. "Just great."**

**"So your career's still on track?"**

**He glanced at me nervously. "Chiron t-told you I want a searcher's license?"**

**"Well... no." I had no idea what a searcher's license was, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask.**

"So you can be tactful sometimes," Thalia thought out loud.

"O shut up you."

**"He just said you had big plans, you know ... and that you needed credit for completing a keeper's assignment. So did you get it?"**

**Grover looked down at the naiads. "Mr. D suspended judgment. He said I hadn't failed or succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he'd consider the job complete."**

**My spirits lifted. "Well, that's not so bad, right?"**

**"Blaa-ha-ha! He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest... and even if you did, why would you want me along?"**

"Bravest. Satyr. Ever." Spoke Percy, Nico, and Thalia all at once.

**"Of course I'd want you along!"**

**Grover stared glumly into the water. "Basket-weaving ... Must be nice to have a useful skill."**

**I tried to reassure him that he had lots of talents, but that just made him look more miserable.**

**We talked about canoeing and swordplay for a while, then debated the pros and cons of the different gods. Finally, I asked him about the four empty cabins.**

**"Number eight, the silver one, belongs to Artemis," he said. "She vowed to be a maiden forever. So of course, no kids. The cabin is, you know, honorary. If she didn't have one, she'd be mad."**

"I would not be." When all the Olympians just stared at her like she was crazy.

"Ok so maybe I would be but my hunters need a place to stay when they come to camp."

**"Yeah, okay. But the other three, the ones at the end. Are those the Big Three?"**

**Grover tensed. We were getting close to a touchy subject. "No. One of them, number two, is Hera's," he said. "That's another honorary thing. She's the goddess of marriage, so of course she wouldn't go around having affairs with mortals.**

"Of course I don't." Replied Hera with a hint of arrogance she continued, "I have standards unlike the rest of you." She finished by gesturing to the rest of the Olympians.

**That's her husband's job. When we say the Big Three, we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos."**

Zeus was glaring at Grover who went to hide behind Annabeth until Hera started to glare at him.

**"Zeus, Poseidon, Hades."**

**"Right. You know. After the great battle with the Titans, they took over the world from their dad and drew lots to decide who got what."**

"Dad/I got the best." Replied Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Thalia, Percy, and Nico. They all glared at the others and before they could start to argue Clarisse wisely decided to start reading again.

**"Zeus got the sky," I remembered. "Poseidon the sea, Hades the Underworld."**

**"Uh-huh."**

**"But Hades doesn't have a cabin here."**

"AS I SHOULD!"Roared Hades. "I am the eldest of us three yet I don't have a cabin and neither does Hestia and she is the oldest of us all." Zeus was about to respond but he was cut off by Hades who was on a roll. "And don't give me that tired old line about not having children for either of us. As you can see I have Nico. He deserves a cabin of his own. I deserve respect. And Hestia may be a maiden goddess that doesn't mean she shouldn't have a cabin. Look at Hera. She doesn't have children but she still has a cabin."When he finished Zeus and Poseidon looked shocked.

"Brother peace…."Began Zeus but he was cut off once more by Hades. "No I will not relax because you say so Zeus. We as Gods are becoming weaker as time passes because we gather no respect. In ancient times mortals feared and respected us and we were powerful. Now we are nothing compared to what we were. We only live on because of our children and the respect that they give us. You have forced me into a pact of no longer having children and I have honored that. I don't have children besides Nico so I no longer gather respect from them and all of the rest of your children fear me and show no respect. Because of that I won't fade. Because of your children's fear I am still here and powerful. If you won't think about me think about our sister. She has no children, no cabin, and very little respect. Sooner or later she will fade if you do nothing to help her. I do not want my sister to fade so you need to figure something that will allow her to gain the respect as the rest of you gain it." When Hades finished he was shaking with anger and everyone was looking at him in shock. Hestia waited a moment before she went up to Hades and gave him a big hug. All the Olympians were in shock at what Hades had said, as were all of the campers. Zeus and Poseidon were sharing a glance that said they needed to talk in private soon. Nico was looking at his father with prideful eyes, while Thalia and Percy had a smile on their faces as they thought about the changes to the future.

As silence continued to echo throughout the throne room Athena finally spoke, "Clarisse, I think you should continue reading."

**"No. He doesn't have a throne on Olympus, either. He sort of does his own thing down in the Underworld. If he did have a cabin here ..." Grover shuddered. "Well, it wouldn't be pleasant. Let's leave it at that."**

Now Hades and Nico were both glaring at Grover who had taken refuge hiding behind Percy.

**"But Zeus and Poseidon—they both had, like, a bazillion kids in the myths. Why are their cabins empty?"**

**Grover shifted his hooves uncomfortably.**

**"About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they wouldn't sire any more heroes.**

"And look how well that worked." Grumbled Hera.

**Their children were just too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War II, you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the sons of Hades on the other.**

**The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath with them: no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx."**

Thunder boomed in the throne room.

**Thunder boomed.**

**I said, "That's the most serious oath you can make."**

**Grover nodded.**

**"And the brothers kept their word—no kids?"**

**Grover's face darkened. "Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon.**

Thalia's face darkened at the thought of her mother.

**There was this TV starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo—he just couldn't help himself. When their child was born, a little girl named Thalia .. . well, the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus himself got off easy because he's immortal, but he brought a terrible fate on his daughter."**

**"But that isn't fair.' It wasn't the little girl's fault."**

"Little girl?" Questioned Thalia

**Grover hesitated. "Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other half-bloods.**

"True," Percy, Thalia, and Nico all agreed with a smile.

**They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he wasn't too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia. A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do.**

"Don't you mean there was nothing you could do?" Questioned Thalia.

**"I probably don't want to tell Percy what a failure I am."**

**He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she'd befriended. They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill."**

**He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree where I'd fought the minotaur. "All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a horde of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and she didn't want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't change her mind, and he had to protect the others. So Thalia made her final stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died,**

**Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That's why the hill is called Half-Blood Hill."**

**I stared at the pine in the distance.**

**The story made me feel hollow, and guilty too. A girl my age had sacrificed herself to save her friends. She had faced a whole army of monsters. Next to that, my victory over the Minotaur didn't seem like much.**

"I always knew you looked up to me." Thalia smirked hoping to lighten the tension in the room.

"You wish." Percy joked back and they successfully lightened the mood.

**I wondered, if I'd acted differently, could I have saved my mother?**

**"Grover," I said, "Have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?"**

**"Sometimes," he said. "Orpheus. Hercules. Houdini."**

**"And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?"**

**"No. Never. Orpheus came close... . Percy, you're not seriously thinking—"**

**"No," I lied.**

**"I was just wondering. So ... a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?"**

**Grover studied me warily. I hadn't persuaded him that I'd really dropped the Underworld idea. "Not always. We go undercover to a lot of schools. We try to sniff out the half-bloods who have the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the Big Three, we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them, since they could cause really huge problems."**

**"And you found me. Chiron said you thought I might be something special."**

**Grover looked as if I'd just led him into a trap. "I didn't... Oh, listen, don't think like that. If you were—you know—you'd never ever be allowed a quest, and I'd never get my license. You're probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don't worry, okay?"**

"Isn't Nemesis a goddess?" Questioned Aphrodite.

"Yes. Why?"

"Just checking."

**I got the idea he was reassuring himself more than me.**

**That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual.**

**At last, it was time for capture the flag.**

All the campers, but Clarisse cheered like they were back at camp.

**When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables.**

**Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.**

Athena beamed with pride at her daughter.

**From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.**

Now Ares was doing the same thing.

**I turned to Luke and yelled over the noise, "Those are the flags?"**

Everyone started to stare at Percy until he started to get uncomfortable.

"Yeah yeah yeah I know stupid question."

**"Yeah."**

**"Ares and Athena always lead the teams?"**

**"Not always," he said. "But often."**

**"So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do— repaint the flag?"**

Before anyone could open their mouths Percy beat them to the punch.

"Again stupid question I know."

**He grinned. "You'll see. First we have to get one."**

**"Whose side are we on?"**

**He gave me a sly look, as if he knew something I didn't. The scar on his face made him look almost evil in the torchlight. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And you are going to help."**

Athena sat there for a second with her eyes closed in concentration and suddenly they snapped open.

"Good plan daughter, good plan indeed."

**The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins.**

Apollo and Hermes started to cheer.

**Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities—in order to win support.**

**Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. From what I'd seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes, but there were only two of them.**

Dionysus smiled at the mention of his two sons. He really did love those boys.

Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff but they weren't very aggressive.

Katie raised her eyes at that, "Well we will have to prove your wrong then Percy."

**Aphrodite's sons and daughters I wasn't too worried about. They mostly sat out every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped.**

Silena started to scowl at that but then stopped because she realized it was true.

**Hephaestus's kids weren't pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the metal shop all day. They might be a problem.**

"Got that right." Quipped Beckendorf. "You should be more worried about our traps and automatons not our size." Hephaestus smiled at his son and nodded along in agreement.

**That, of course, left Ares's cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, or anywhere else on the planet.**

Ares and Clarisse were both glaring at Percy while the rest of the campers were snickering at what Percy said.

**Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.**

**"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"**

**He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxhide shields coated in metal.**

**"Whoa," I said. "We're really supposed to use these?"**

"Stupid question I know." Sighed Percy.

**Luke looked at me as if I were crazy. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here—Chiron thought these would fit. You'll be on border patrol."**

**My shield was the size of an NBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle. It weighed about a million pounds. I could have snowboarded on it fine, but I hoped nobody seriously expected me to run fast. My helmet, like all the helmets on Athena's side, had a blue horsehair plume on top. Ares and their allies had red plumes.**

**Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"**

**We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off toward the north.**

**I managed to catch up with Annabeth without tripping over my equipment. "Hey."**

"Real smooth Perce, real smooth."

"O shut up Nico."

"You know you love me."

"I will hurt you though." Percy then laughed at his expression and kissed him.

**She kept marching.**

**"So what's the plan?" I asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?"**

**Her hand drifted toward her pocket, as if she were afraid I'd stolen something.**

**"Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"**

**"Border patrol, whatever that means."**

**"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."**

"You wouldn't believe how annoying that gets." Nico and Poseidon said.

"Trust me Nico I'm sure Athena says it more than Annabeth so count yourself lucky." All the Olympians started to laugh at Poseidon's words while Annabeth and Athena glared at Nico and Poseidon.

**She pushed ahead, leaving me in the dust.**

**"Okay," I mumbled. "Glad you wanted me on your team."**

**It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view. Annabeth stationed me next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees.**

**Standing there alone, with my big blue-feathered helmet and my huge shield, I felt like an idiot. The bronze sword, like all the swords I'd tried so far, seemed balanced wrong. The leather grip pulled on my hand like a bowling ball.**

"Could you complain anymore Prissy?"

**There was no way anybody would actually attack me, would they? I mean, Olympus had to have liability issues, right?**

Everyone looked at Percy oddly for that comment and he just shrugged his shoulders.

**Far away, the conch horn blew. I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A blue-plumed ally from Apollo raced past me like a deer, leaped through the creek, and disappeared into enemy territory.**

**Great, I thought. I'll miss all the fun, as usual.**

"Yeah that didn't last long." Grumbled Percy.

**Then I heard a sound that sent a chill up my spine, a low canine growl, somewhere close by.**

Poseidon paled worrying what was after his son.

"Not another monster" Nico thought.

**I raised my shield instinctively; I had the feeling some thing was stalking me.**

**Then the growling stopped. I felt the presence retreating.**

**On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark.**

**"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed.**

"Enter Clarisse." Muttered everyone minus Clarisse and Chris.

**Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a five-foot-long spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard-issue bronze swords—not that that made me feel any better.**

"I'm so hating this chapter." Clarisse thought. Percy could barely keep the smirk off of his face because he couldn't wait to see how Ares would react.

**They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. I could run. Or I could defend myself against half the Ares cabin.**

**I managed to sidestep the first kid's swing, but these guys were not as stupid the Minotaur.**

"Really?" Questioned Artemis while Ares eye started to twitch.

**They surrounded me, and Clarisse thrust at me with her spear. My shield deflected the point, but I felt a painful tingling all over my body. My hair stood on end. My shield arm went numb, and the air burned.**

**Electricity. Her stupid spear was electric.**

**I fell back.**

Poseidon was glaring at Ares.

**Another Ares guy slammed me in the chest with the butt of his sword and I hit the dirt.**

**They could've kicked me into jelly, but they were too busy laughing.**

**"Give him a haircut," Clarisse said. "Grab his hair."**

Percy decided to act childishly again. He put both his hands on top of his head (like the way 5 year olds do when they don't want anyone to touch or cut their hair) then narrowed his eyes at Clarisse who was looking at him in amusement along with everyone else (except Poseidon).

"No touching my hair unless you're either my mom, my dad, Paul, Annabeth, Chiron… err who else… Yeah, that's all." Nico had a sudden gleam in his eyes and pinched a few strands of Percy's hair.

"Touch." He said childishly. Then Percy turned to him and glared, bringing out a roll of duct tape from his pants.

"Where'd you get that?" Thalia mused. Nico meanwhile, paled further and leaned away.

"N-now Percy." He started. Said boy unrolled the duct tape threateningly. Top off the evil duct tape unraveling and the glare on Percy's face, Nico's resolve crumbled.

"I'm SORRY!" He leapt up and hid behind Hades' throne. Hades looked behind his throne and found his son trying to hide but epically failing. Lucky for Nico, Hades only smiled and ignored the small whimpering that came from the demigod behind his throne… at least, he _tried _to. The god would alternate between glancing behind his throne as best as he could without anyone noticingand glaring at the son of Poseidon who put the duct tape away and way getting a small scolding from Annabeth.

Nico peeked from behind Hades' throne to see if Percy still had the duct tape out. Then he looked up and saw his father looking at him with an amused expression.

"Is it safe to come out now?" The demigod asked uncertainly. Everyone nodded and Nico uncertainly walked back to his seat, eyeing Percy warily.

"I won't bring out the duct tape. I promise." Percy said, rolling his eyes at the same time then grinning afterwards. The grin seemed enough for Nico and he sat himself down into Percy's lap.

"Why do you keep a roll of duct tape with you?" Beckendorf asked. Percy looked at him.

"For fun, plus I like to tease him." He said, as if explaining everything. "It's also to make sure Nico doesn't go out of line when he gets hyper." Annabeth whispered to herself.

**I managed to get to my feet. I raised my sword, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear as sparks flew. Now both my arms felt numb.**

**"Oh, wow," Clarisse said. "I'm scared of this guy. Really scared."**

**"The flag is that way," I told her. I wanted to sound angry, but I was afraid it didn't come out that way.**

Annabeth and Athena both glared at Percy for giving up the flag's position.

**"You could see the flag from where we were at."**

**"Yeah," one of her siblings said. "But see, we don't care about the flag. We care about a guy who made our cabin look stupid."**

"You do that without his help." Commented Poseidon.

**"You do that without my help," I told them.**

Percy and Poseidon smiled at each other.

**It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say.**

"No really?" Percy just rolled his eyes at Chris.

**Two of them came at me. I backed up toward the creek, tried to raise my shield, but Clarisse was too fast. Her spear stuck me straight in the ribs. If I hadn't been wearing an armored breastplate, I would've been shish-kebabbed. As it was, the electric point just about shocked my teeth out of my mouth. One of her cabinmates slashed his sword across my arm, leaving a good-size cut.**

"Does anyone listen to me when I say no maiming?" Chiron asked himself.

The god of the seas, upon hearing the last line couldn't take it anymore. He snapped his finger and immediately, Percy found himself seated on his dad's lap being crushed by a very tight hug. Though Nico was somehow still in his seat. It took the demigods a couple of seconds to understand what happened. Poseidon shut his eyes tightly and kept on hugging his son out of worry.

"You'll be ok. You'll be ok." The god chanted.

"He won't be if you don't loosed up on that hug Uncle P." Apollo commented, noticing that Percy was turning blue and was making choking noises. Poseidon opened his eyes and loosened his grip. Immediately, Percy released what little air he had in his lungs. Then the son of Poseidon proceeded to take in deep breaths. Then he seems to realized exactly _where_ he was and began blushing furiously.

The boys were snickering at the Savior of Olympus while the females were either smiling or in Aphrodite's, Silena's and Hera's case, cooing. Percy squirmed.

"Dad, uh, not that I don't appreciate you worrying or anything but can I go back to my chair now?" Percy asked. Poseidon blinked.

"Maybe later, son. Perhaps when the chapter ends?" Poseidon said, a smile forming on his lips as Percy whined childishly on his lap.

"Dad, c'mon. I'm already 16 and this is embarrassing."

"What's embarrassing?"

"The fact that I'm sitting on your lap like I'm 5 years old." Percy pouted. Everyone was snickering or trying not to. Poseidon only looked at his son and gave the Savior of Olympus a puppy dog pout. Percy tried to look away but was having a lot of trouble. All the females (except Clarisse) had a hard time looking away from the pouting god.

After a few more moments and Percy sighed and crossed his arms.

"Fine. I'll stay until the end of the chapter." He relented. Poseidon grinned while Nico and Thalia were videotaping it for blackmail reference. Though Nico was only doing it to get back at him for all the times he teased him, especially when it made him blush.

"Uh, can I read now?" Clarisse asked. Everyone nodded.

**Seeing my own blood made me dizzy—warm and cold at the same time.**

"Wuss." Ares was then blasted off his throne by his Uncle.

**"No maiming," I managed to say.**

**"Oops," the guy said. "Guess I lost my dessert privilege."**

"Chiron you really need to come up with a new punishment for that."

"I know Lady Hestia and I will think of one when we get back to camp."

**He pushed me into the creek and I landed with a splash.**

"No no no no no." Ares was now fuming as was Clarisse while everyone else had a smirk on their faces.

**They all laughed. I figured as soon as they were through being amused, I would die. But then something happened. The water seemed to wake up my senses, as if I'd just had a bag of my mom's double-espresso jelly beans.**

Apollo and Hermes started to drool at the thought of double-espresso jelly beans.

**Clarisse and her cabinmates came into the creek to get me, but I stood to meet them. I knew what to do. I swung the flat of my sword against the first guy's head and knocked his helmet clean off.**

Beckendorf let out a low whistle that certainly was impressive.

**I hit him so hard I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled into the water.**

Percy had a smirk on his face as he remembered that night. Clarisse's eye was twitching and Ares looked like he was going to strangle Percy at any moment.

**Ugly Number Two and Ugly Number Three came at me. I slammed one in the face with my shield and used my sword to shear off the other guy's horsehair plume. Both of them backed up quick. Ugly Number Four didn't look really anxious to attack, but Clarisse kept coming, the point of her spear crackling with energy. As soon as she thrust, I caught the shaft between the edge of my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig.**

All the campers were quite for a second then they all started to cheer and some of the Olympians looked like they were close.

**"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"**

Travis and Connor looked like they wanted to laugh at that but they decided that it was in their best interests to be quiet.

"Nope, that Hades, not Percy" Said Poseidon. Making Hades yell "Hey!" Making everyone laugh.

**She probably would've said worse, but I smacked her between the eyes with my sword-butt and sent her stumbling backward out of the creek.**

**Then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat, and a few Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids. The Ares folks got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.**

**"A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick."**

"Little slow on the uptake huh Clarisse." That was Clarisse's last straw she dove at Connor and knocked him from his chair and was punching ever bit of him she could reach.

"Help me! She's gone insane!" Screeched Connor. "I'm to handsome to die, HELP ME!."

Finally Travis, Beckendorf, and Chris managed to pull Clarisse off of him.

**They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers. The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven. Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.**

**The game was over. We'd won.**

**I was about to join the celebration when Annabeth's voice, right next to me in the creek, said, "Not bad, hero."**

**I looked, but she wasn't there.**

**"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken it off her head.**

**I felt myself getting angry. I wasn't even fazed by the fact that she'd just been invisible. "You set me up," I said. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."**

**Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."**

**"A plan to get me pulverized."**

**"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but ..." She shrugged. "You didn't need help."**

**Then she noticed my wounded arm. "How did you do that?"**

"Weren't you paying attention Annie it was from a sword." Travis spoke in a patronizing voice until she threw her knife at him.

**"Sword cut," I said. "What do you think?"**

**"No. It was a sword cut. Look at it."**

**The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared.**

"One of my favorite powers of being a son of Poseidon." Smirked Percy.

**"I—I don't get it," I said.**

"Big shocker there." Grumbled Thalia and Artemis.

**Annabeth was thinking hard.**

"Well that's something you don't see everyday." Joked Connor.

**I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at my feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."**

"I really wasn't happy that you had me do this in front of everyone." Mumbled Percy while narrowing his eyes at Annabeth.

**"What—"**

**"Just do it."**

**I came out of the creek and immediately felt bone tired. My arms started to go numb again. My adrenaline rush left me. I almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied me.**

Percy managed to slip out of his dad's hug and stretched. "Wow dad. You're constant bear-hugs really hurt the lungs." He said, poking his ribs for emphasis. Poseidon's lips turned down in guilt.

"Sorry son." Percy just shrugged and gave his dad a peace sign and the famous Jackson grin.

"No worries dad. If you don't mind though, I think I'd like to sit next to my friends." Poseidon nodded his head and pretended to shoo Percy away.

Percy walked the small distance and soon found himself seated beside his boyfriend again.

Clarisse waited till it was alright to read.

**"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want ... I assumed it would be Zeus... ."**

"Nope he isn't that cool." Zeus smiled at his daughters words.

**Before I could ask what she meant, I heard that canine growl again, but much closer than before. A howl ripped through the forest.**

**The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which I would realize, only later, I had understood perfectly: "Stand ready! My bow!"**

**Annabeth drew her sword.**

**There on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers.**

"HELLHOUND!" Shouted Nico. "First the Furies, now a Hellhound!" Percy then pulled Nico into his lap, wrapped an arm around his waist, and the other in his hair. Then kissed him furiously, turning it into a make-out session. So that he would calmed down, which made Nico blush a very deep red, after they broke apart. But it calmed him down immediately.

While this happened, Hades paled even more.

Poseidon's eyes flared.

"You're lucky I don't rip you into pieces Hades. My son had better be ok or else-" The god never finished his threat because he was interrupted by the Savior of Olympus.

"Dad!" Percy whined. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm ok?" Poseidon pouted.

"B-but Percy." Percy gave his dad a look. At the back of his mind, he noted how their roles were pretty much reversed and it was Percy who was acting like the father.

"No buts. This happened 5 years ago in my time and there's no need for any unnecessary violence." Poseidon sighed.

"Alright." Demeter leaned over the armrest on her throne and whispered into Hera's ear. "Don't you think it's amusing how their roles are reversed? Brother's acting like the kid while his son is giving him a scolding."

The two goddesses shared a look before muffling their giggles with their hands.

**It was looking straight at me.**

**Nobody moved except Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, run!"**

**She tried to step in front of me, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her—an enormous shadow with teeth—and just as it hit me, as I stumbled backward and felt its razor-sharp claws ripping through my armor, there was a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper being ripped one after the other. From the hounds neck sprouted a cluster of arrows. The monster fell dead at my feet.**

"Thank the gods." Mumbled Poseidon and Nico.

**By some miracle, I was still alive. I didn't want to look underneath the ruins of my shredded armor. My chest felt warm and wet, and I knew I was badly cut.**

"Cut?" Annabeth asked incredulously. "Percy, it was more than a _cut_. Your chest looked like it had been ripped open by three slashed and-" Annabeth abruptly stopped upon hearing the sea god's whimper. Percy looked to Hestia pleadingly. Hestia smiled in understanding and rose from her hearth. Then she walked over to Poseidon's throne and hugged the god as best as she could.

"Don't worry brother. It's all in the past. No need for any drama unless you want to take the title of god of theatre from Zeus."

Immediately Poseidon stopped whimpering and tried to glare at his older sister. "I am not dramatic like Mr. Drama over there." Poseidon said motioning to Zeus.

"Hey!" "I am not dramatic!"

"Says the god who blasted a hotdog stand with lightning just because they didn't have ketchup."  
Poseidon whispered to Hades who was snickering at the memory.

Zeus heard them and immediately blushed scarlet. "You will not speak of that again, brothers."

Poseidon and Hades just kept on snickering. "Whatever you say, brother."

The small tension in the room disappeared as everyone laughed at the king of the gods.

**Another second, and the monster would've turned me into a hundred pounds of delicatessen meat.**

**Chiron trotted up next to us, a bow in his hand, his face grim.**

**"Di immortales!" Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't ... they're not supposed to ..."**

**"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."**

**Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone.**

Percy started to scowl at the mention of that traitor.

**Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"**

"Really Clarisse? Really?" Questioned Nico.

"Ok that was stupid I admit it."

**"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.**

**We watched the body of the hellhound melt into shadow, soaking into the ground until it disappeared.**

**"You're wounded," Annabeth told me. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."**

**"I'm okay."**

**"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this."**

**I was too tired to argue.**

**I stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around me.**

**Instantly, I felt better. I could feel the cuts on my chest closing up. Some of the campers gasped.**

**"Look, I—I don't know why," I said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry..."**

"Why are you apologizing Percy?" Asked Silena.

"Not a clue Silena, not a clue."

**But they weren't watching my wounds heal. They were staring at something above my head.**

**"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um ..."**

**By the time I looked up, the sign was already fading, but I could still make out the hologram of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three-tipped spear: a trident.**

**"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is really not good."**

"Excuse me?" Poseidon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean no disrespect Lord Poseidon." Replied (past)Annabeth quickly. Then she saw Poseidon smiling and he was just messing with her.

**"It is determined," Chiron announced.**

**All around me, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn't look happy about it.**

"Clarisse read what it really says."

"Umm Lady Athena it really says everyone started to kneel."

**"My father?" I asked, completely bewildered.**

**"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God**

"Well that's the end of the chapter." Replied Clarisse. "Who wants to read next?"

"I will." Replied Demeter.


	11. Chapter 9

**"I Am Offered a Quest"** Read Demeter.

"Finally some actions."

"Ares they just played capture the flag how can you say there has been no action?" Question Hestia.

**The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.**

**I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table, pick all my own activities, call "lights out" whenever I felt like it, and not listen to anybody else.**

"Wicked." Commented Travis while Connor and Chris nodded along with there brother.

"And you were completely miserable." Commented Thalia and Nico at once. Percy nodded and laid his head on Nico's shoulder and Poseidon couldn't help but look down sadly.

**And I was absolutely miserable.**

**Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.**

Thalia patted Percy on the shoulder because she could understand how he felt. While Nico's arms wrapped around Percy's waist.

**Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back.**

"No duh Patrick its camp." Grumbled Dionysus, "What did you expect."

**The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one; that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.**

**The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I'd done to the Ares folks in the woods,**

"Well what do you expect you just made five Ares campers look like idiots." Ares and Clarisse were scowling when Travis had finished.

**so my lessons with Luke became one-on-one. He pushed me harder than ever,**

"He is the best swordsmen at camp." (past)Annabeth spoke while trying to fight the faint blush that she could feel creeping up her cheek.

**and wasn't afraid to bruise me up in the process.**

**"You're going to need all the training you can get," he promised, as we were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions."**

"He really did help me a lot." Nico could tell Percy was struggling to say those few words. And gave him a peck on the lips.

**Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she scowled at me, as if I'd just poked her between the eyes.**

**After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest ... Poseidon? ... Dirty rotten ... Got to make a plan …"**

**Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.**

"I'll remember that punk" Clarisse growled.

"Let me get this straight. You actually had Clarisse quite and leaving you alone-"Travis started.

"And you want her to start fights with you." Finished Connor. Both of them looked at Percy like he was an idiot.

"Hmm yeah that seems about right."

"And that is another reason why our cousin is not right in the head" Thalia stage whispered to Nico which had everyone laughing until Percy and Nico gave her a death glare.

**I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the New York Daily News,**

"Was it…." Nico trailed off at the end but Percy and Thalia both knew what he was talking about.

"Not sure but I think so." Replied Percy. None of the Olympians or campers knew what the cousins were talking about so Demeter just continued reading.

**opened to the Metro page. The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.**

"I hate when that happens." Beckendorf whispered to Silena who agreed whole heartedly.

**BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER**

**FREAK CAR ACCIDENT**

**BY EILEEN SMYTHE**

"I know her." Exclaimed Nico and Demeter. Everyone was confused on how Nico knew who this person was. No one spoke for a few seconds until Percy broke the silence.

"Ok, I'll bite. Who is Eileen Smythe and how do you know her?"

"Aunt Demeter made me read some articles she wrote about gardening and health foods." Nico replied with a scowl while Demeter smiled and nodded with her future self.

**Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken.**

**The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding.**

**Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident.**

**Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past.**

"He better not be trying to pin your mother's disappearance on you." Growled Nico and Thalia. When Percy didn't respond right away and finally Poseidon spoke up, "Percy…"

"Fine yeah he is but don't worry things are taken care of." Most of the campers were grumbling about how horrible Gabe was. Even though they have only known Percy for little over a day he seemed like a good friend to have.

**Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play.**

"Yes because the 12 year old boy really should be considered a legitimate suspect." Apollo said sarcastically.

**Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline.**

**The phone number was circled in black marker.**

**I wadded up the paper and threw it away, then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.**

**"Lights out," I told myself miserably.**

**That night, I had my worst dream yet.**

"Great, just great." Groaned Poseidon while Percy shot him a nervous smile.

**I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.**

All the demi-gods were looking at Percy to tell them what city but all he did was smile and shake his head. Percy was starting to get worried because they were about to find out that he stole Zeus's masterbolt.

**About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair.**

"You thought we looked like wrestlers boy?" All Percy could do was nervously shrug his shoulders at Zeus' question.

**Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green. They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.**

"Father, what are you and Poseidon fighting about?" Zeus and Poseidon ignored Hermes' question and just kept glaring at each other.

**I had to stop them. I didn't know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back, until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.**

**Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, Give it back! Give it back! Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.**

"Jackson…"Growled Zeus, but he was trying to figure out what Poseidon had taken of his.

**The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.**

**I yelled, Stop it! Stop fighting!**

Most of the Olympians snorted at that, "It takes more than that to get these two to stop fighting." Laughed Hermes.

**The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice.**

Hades now started to look at everything except his two brothers who were glaring at him.

**Come down, little hero, the voice crooned. Come down!**

**The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.**

"Don't you touch my son Hades" Snarled Poseidon.

**I woke up, sure I was falling.**

"I hate those types of dreams." Muttered Katie.

**I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. I hadn't dreamed that.**

**I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold.**

"I wonder who that is?" Travis asked puzzled while everyone else rolled their eyes at him.

**"Come in?"**

**Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you."**

"Dionysus don't make me remind you what will happen if you hurt my son."

**"Why?"**

**"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."**

Dionysus tried to sink into his throne remembering what his uncle just told him.

**Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.**

Percy shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly "Nothing new there, I'm always in trouble with someone for one reason or another."

"And its completely your fault." Smirked Thalia while Nico added "If you didn't try to piss off all the Olympians, Titans, and Monsters you wouldn't have to worry." Again Percy just shrugged his shoulders but he had a smile on his face. Poseidon was rubbing his thumbs into his temples at what his niece and nephew just said and about his son.

**For days, I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that I was declared a son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who weren't supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.**

Nico and Thalia both stared at the floor because at one point or another they both had felt like that while Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all looked at their children sadly.

**The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish me for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their verdict.**

"No fair I want to kill the spa…"Ares would have finished but Poseidon doused him with water.

**Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.**

All the campers looked at Percy like he was crazy.

**"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."**

**I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"**

"An angry Zeus." Mumbled Connor so quietly that the only people to hear him were Chris and Travis.

**He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."**

**I realized he was right. In the week I'd been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I'd seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.**

**But this storm ... this one was huge.**

"Father is really mad." Stage whispered Apollo to Hermes.

**At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.**

**Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheel chair. They were playing against invisible opponents-two sets of cards hovering in the air.**

**"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."**

**I waited.**

**"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."**

"Honestly where do you people get all these names from." Exclaimed Poseidon.

"Thanks Dionysus I'm going to have to use that one some time." Athena smirked.

**A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.**

**"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.**

**Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.**

**"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble.**

"Dionysus…" Dionysus started to back away from the lord of the sea.

"Do not worry Lord Poseidon I am sure I will stop him from doing anything." Poseidon kept his eyes trained on Dionysus incase he hurt Percy but he still nodded his head to show Chiron he was listening.

**But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."**

**"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.**

"Nonsense. It would be good for this punk." Growled Ares.

**"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."**

Annabeth leaned over to Thalia and whispered, "I bet Nico would like it he was a dolphin sometimes." Thalia started to laugh uncontrollably at that while everyone else gave her strange looks.

**"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.**

**"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."**

**Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.**

**He snapped his fingers.**

**The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.**

**Chiron smiled at me, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please. And Grover."**

**We did.**

**Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use.**

Chiron had a small smile at that while Dionysus scowled at being beat again.

**"Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"**

"Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast." Exclaimed Beckendorf in a poor imitation of Percy's voice.

Percy stared at Beckendorf for a second then started to chuckle.

**Just hearing the name made me shudder.**

**Chiron probably wanted me to say, Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast.**

All the demi-gods stared to laugh while Beckendorf was smiling.

"Aww Charlie you think like Percy." All Beckendorf could do was smile at Silena.

**But I didn't feel like lying.**

**"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."**

**"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."**

**"Done ... with what?"**

**"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"**

**I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.**

**"Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."**

"Psshh details not important." Artemis shock her head at her brother.

**Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."**

**Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.**

"Seriously brothers, what are you two fighting about?" Question Hestia.

**"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They're fighting over something valuable ... something that was stolen, aren't they?"**

Athena was now 100 percent certain she knew what they were fighting about and it was not good. Then she remember that they had this conversation before, but couldn't believe everyone forgot about it, since she was the one that had to stop the fight that was going to break out.

**Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.**

**Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"**

**My face felt hot. I wished I hadn't opened my big mouth. "The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft.**

Now Zeus was thinking as well. There was only one thing that he would fight with Poseidon about for so long, but it couldn't be…..

**And ... I've also been having these dreams."**

**"I knew it," Grover said.**

**"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.**

**"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"**

**"Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen.**

With each word that Athena read Zeus's face was getting a darker shade of red and it looked like he was going to explode. Percy slowly started to inch himself away from the campers because if Zeus blew his top before they were able to explain he didn't want any of his friends to get caught in the crossfire. Athena looked at the next sentence and took a deep breath before she continued.

To be precise: a lightning bolt."

"POSEIDON! GIVE ME BACK MY BOLT!" When he was finished his face was almost purple with rage and lightening was flashing throughout the throne room and thunder boomed.

"At ease brother I couldn't have stolen it. You know of the ancient laws." This seemed to calm him down slightly but he was now look at Percy with a murderous expression on his face.

Athena then interupted and said "Father, have you already forgotten that we already has this conversation" Making everyone blush, since everyone but Athena had forgot about the fight that almost broke out.

**I laughed nervously. "A what?"**

"This is not a joke Jackson."Snarled the king of the sky.

**"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."**

**"Oh."**

**"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."**

"I love firecrackers."Travis whispered with a smile which was slapped off his face by Katie.

**"And it's missing?"**

**"Stolen," Chiron said.**

**"By who?"**

"By whom," Chiron corrected.

**"By whom," Chiron corrected.**

"Once a teacher, always a teacher" laughed Thalia.

**Once a teacher, always a teacher.**

**"Great I think like fish face…"Grumbled Thalia while Percy stuck his tongue out at her.**

**"By you."**

"JACKSON!"

"Lord Zeus I did not take your master bolt. If you let Lady Demeter continue reading you will see that. Sir." Thalia and Nico were shaking their heads at how Percy had just spoken to Zeus while the rest of the Olympians were amazed Zeus didn't kill Percy on the spot.

"Now children Percy will most likely be good role models for something's but not for how to properly address a god. What he just did was the wrong way to address Lord Zeus." Lectured Chiron while all the campers nodded their heads in shock at the way Percy had just spoken to a god.

**My mouth fell open.**

**"At least"—Chiron held up a hand—"that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' etcetera.**

Chiron looked nervous for a second because of the looks he was getting from Zeus and Poseidon, but that stopped once Apollo burst out laughing.

"It seems Chiron knows you both very well," Commented Artemis with a smile.

**Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon.**

"Of course he did." Grumbled Poseidon while Hades said, "Better you then me."

**Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."**

"Ah Ha, you did take it Jackson." But before he could start yelling Athena cut him off, "Father we would of seen Percy steal the bolt since we are reading about his life." Zeus softened his gaze but only slightly.

**"But I didn't—"**

**"Patience and listen, child," Chiron said. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne.**

"Brother."

"What Poseidon."

"That is one of the dumbest things you have ever thought."

**The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."**

**"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"**

"Another example of Percy not knowing how to speak to the gods."

**Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid.**

**"Er, Percy ...?" Grover said. "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."**

**"Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam..." He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember question thirty-eight.**

"Chiron there is no way he will remember that," Smirked Anna. Percy raised his eyebrow at her and shot her a we shall see look.

**How could anyone accuse me of stealing a god's weapon? I couldn't even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe's poker party without getting busted.**

"That's sad Percy, when you get to camp Connor and I will teach you the noble art of lying." Said Travis.

**Chiron was waiting for an answer.**

**"Something about a golden net?" I guessed. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods ... they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"**

**"Correct," Chiron said.**

Percy shot Annabeth a smug look which had her rolling her eyes at him.

**"And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along—the proverbial last straw."**

**"But I'm just a kid!"**

**"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you... Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?"**

"Twist in your toga…"Mumbled Hermes.

"I like it." Exclaimed Chris.

**"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon—my dad—he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"**

**"Of course not."**

"Hey I had to ask." Percy replied apologetically.

**Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"**

**"Bad?" I guessed.**

**"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."**

**"Bad," I repeated.**

**"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."**

"Wow that's something new a god would be angry with me." Poseidon groaned at his sons words.

**It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.**

**I had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me. I was furious.**

Zeus raised his eyebrow at Percy as did most of the campers.

**"So I have to find the stupid bolt,"**

"It's not stupid!" Thundered Zeus.

**I said. "And return it to Zeus."**

**"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"**

**"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?"**

Hades perked up at that he had a bad feeling about this.

**"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago ... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."**

**"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"**

**"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."**

"Sounds logic." Thalia rolled her eyes at Nico who had a large grin on his face.

**I swallowed. "Good reason."**

**"You agree then?"**

**I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly.**

**Easy for him. I was the one Zeus wanted to kill.**

**"Sorry Percy…"He had enough sense to look embarrassed about his actions.**

**"All right," I said. "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."**

**"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."**

"My poor Oracle" Mumbled Apollo while Hermes was thinking about his beloved May."

**Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trap door.**

**I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place.**

**The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else ... a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes.**

**I held my breath and climbed.**

**The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things—severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.**

**By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy.**

"Show some respect Percy!" Shouted Apollo with an unusual amount of seriousness.

**Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.**

Hades was shifting in his seat guiltily which no one noticed.

**Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trap door, but it slammed shut.**

"I almost jumped out of the window at that point." Percy mused while Nico, Thalia, and Annabeth all started to chuckle.

**Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.**

**I wanted to say, No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bath room. But I forced myself to take a deep breath.**

**The mummy wasn't alive.**

"Isn't being dead a must for a mummy?" Questioned Travis. Everyone ignored him and waited for Athena to start reading again.

**She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist. But its presence didn't feel evil, like my demonic math teacher Mrs. Dodds or the Minotaur. It felt more like the Three Fates I'd seen knitting the yarn outside the highway fruit stand: ancient, powerful, and definitely not human. But not particularly interested in killing me, either.**

"And that's a good thing?" Questioned Silena. "Yeah it's a nice change of pace."Poseidon and Nico both were worried about what kind of things that Percy gets into.

**I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"**

The room was silent for a moment then Thalia and Nico both burst out laughing.

"Could you make your question any vaguer?" Nico asked, teasing then Laughing.

**The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies.**

The joking atmosphere in the throne room left the instant that Gabe was mentioned.

**My fists clenched, though I knew this poker party couldn't be real. It was an illusion, made out of mist.**

**Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.**

**His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.**

**The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: You shall he betrayed by one who calls you a friend.**

**Finally, Eddie, our building superior, delivered the worst line of all: And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.**

Athena was looking at Hades who was trying his hardest not to be noticed. Though Poseidon was glaring at him, hard.

**The figures began to dissolve. At first I was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, I cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"**

**The tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it hadn't been open in a hundred years. The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos.**

**I got the feeling that I could stand here until I had cob webs, too, and I wouldn't learn anything else.**

**My audience with the Oracle was over.**

**"Well?" Chiron asked me.**

**I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."**

**Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!"**

**"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."**

**My ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice. "She ... she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."**

**"I knew it," Grover said.**

**Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"**

**I didn't want to tell him.**

**What friend would betray me? I didn't have that many.**

"You should still tell him Percy he will be able to give better advice if he knows the whole prophecy." Athena said.

"As much as it pains me son, I agree with Athena..." When Poseidon said Athena's name it looked like it was causing him pain.

**And the last line—I would fail to save what mattered most. What kind of Oracle would send me on a quest and tell me, Oh, by the way, you'll fail**

"That could mean several things, don't take so much stock on the actual words." Stated (past)Annabeth.

**How could I confess that?**

**"No," I said. "That's about it."**

**He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."**

**I got the feeling he knew I was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make me feel better.**

"I most likely was." Stated Chiron who had been very silent lately.

**"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west?"**

**"Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"**

Everyone was looking at Hades who was scowling back at everyone.

**"Somebody else who wants to take over?" I guessed.**

**"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."**

"It's not me." Stated Hades.

**I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades."**

**Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."**

"I am not!" Yelled Hades.

"Then who else could it be huh brother?" Hades had no response to Zeus's question so he remained silent while glaring at everyone who looked at him.

**A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"**

**"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."**

"Point Chiron." Apollo laughed.

**"Yes, but—but Hades hates all heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."**

"The number of gods who don't hate me could fit on 1 hand so its no big deal." Laughed Percy while Thalia was shaking her head at her cousin.

**"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued.**

"I miss Mrs. O'Leary." Whined Percy.

"Mrs. O'Leary?" Questioned Artemis.

"She's my pet hellhound." Replied Percy with a smile.

The campers from the past and some of the Olympians looked at Percy like he was insane, "You have a pet hellhound?"

"Of course." Percy replied.

**"Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."**

"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."

"Weren't those the days Perce, when only two major gods wanted you dead." Said Nico, Jokingly.

Poseidon again was rubbing his temples trying to calm the headache that he was getting.

**"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."**

**"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon.**

"Good plan" muttered Ares.

**I don't pretend to under stand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."**

**A strange fire burned in my stomach. The weirdest thing was: it wasn't fear. It was anticipation. The desire for revenge. Hades had tried to kill me three times so far, with the Fury, the Minotaur, and the hellhound. It was his fault my mother had disappeared in a flash of light. Now he was trying to frame me and my dad for a theft we hadn't committed.**

**I was ready to take him on.**

"Please tell me you are joking Percy," Nico asked but all Percy could do was shrug and smile.

"Dream on boy you will not challenge me and survive." Percy gave Hades a polite smile but said nothing.

"You know he still wants to kill your right? Why are you trying to piss him off now?" Nico questioned Percy but he said nothing but shot him a cocky grin. Making Nico blush.

**Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld …**

"No son." Whispered Poseidon so quietly that no one heard him.

**Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You're a kid. Hades is a god.**

"Good show some respect." Hades snarled.

"Wow Perce, I didn't know you had any self preservation skills." Exclaimed Thalia which made everyone laugh.

**Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.**

**The poor guy needed to complete a quest with me so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could I ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said I was destined to fail? This was suicide.**

**"Look, if we know it's Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."**

Ares started to nod his head agreeing with Percy.

**"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt them selves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it.**

"Chiron that was probably the worst thing you have ever told anyone." Thalia explained.

"You got that right. Worst. Advice. Ever." Percy stuck his tongue out at his cousin who was shaking her head at him. "You should of added they need to be dumb enough to challenge them as well." Griped Nico.

"What everything always worked out." Nico rolled his eyes lovingly at Percy while the rest of the throne room was staring at Percy in shock. Poseidon was really starting to worry about his son.

**No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"**

**"You're saying I'm being used."**

Poseidon looked down.

**"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now.**

"I'm sure I would have claimed you sooner son, I probably waited because of the issue with your Uncle."

**It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."**

**My dad needs me.**

"Awww Percy feels needed." Faked cooed Thalia.

**Emotions rolled around inside me like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. I didn't know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry. Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me.**

Poseidon looked down sadly. He really wished he could have been there for Percy.

**I looked at Chiron. "You've known I was Poseidon's son all along, haven't you?"**

**"I had my suspicions. As I said ... I've spoken to the Oracle, too."**

**I got the feeling there was a lot he wasn't telling me about his prophecy, but I decided I couldn't worry about that right now. After all, I was holding back information too.**

**"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."**

**"Check," Chiron said.**

**"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."**

**"Check."**

**"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."**

"Looking back at it now, it seems downright vacation like compared to some of the other adventures we've been on." Comment Percy much to the amusement of his boyfriend.

**"That's about right."**

**I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.**

**"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.**

**"You don't have to go," I told him. "I can't ask that of you.**

**"Oh ..." He shifted his hooves. "No ... it's just that satyrs and underground places ... well..."**

**He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."**

**I felt so relieved I wanted to cry,**

Thalia was about to say something but Percy sprayed her with water and decided to be quite

**though I didn't think that would be very heroic. Grover was the only friend I'd ever had for longer than a few months. I wasn't sure what good a satyr could do against the forces of the dead, but I felt better knowing he'd be with me.**

"Such a good friend," Murmured Hestia..

**"All the way, G-man." I turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."**

**"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."**

**"Where?"**

**Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."**

**"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—"**

"NO!"Shouted Nico and Poseidon.

**"No!" Grover shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"**

**I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. My mom had never taken me anywhere by plane. She'd always said we didn't have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.**

**"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."**

**Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.**

"I think my future self is saying he will let you get a pass," Smirked Zeus.

"Brother you do realize he is trying to bring you master bolt back right?" Questioned Demeter and Zeus's grin fell off his face.

**"Okay," I said, determined not to look at the storm. "So, I'll travel overland."**

**"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."**

Athena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her daughter would be on this quest and she was going to be in so much danger.

**"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"**

**The air shimmered behind Chiron.**

**Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.**

**"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."**

As much as Athena hated to admit it she had to agree with Percy.

**"If you do say so yourself," I said. "I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?"**

"Ah the start of an era." Thalia started to laugh.

**Her cheeks colored. "Do you want my help or not?"**

**The truth was, I did. I needed all the help I could get.**

At least he can admit it, thought both Athena and Artemis.

**"A trio," I said. "That'll work."**

**"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."**

**Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.**

**"No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."**

"Well that was interesting." Spoke Chris after a few moments of silence.

"Who wants to read next?"

"I will Lady Demeter." Responded Beckendorf.


	12. Chapter 10

**"I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus"** Read Beckendorf

**It didn't take me long to pack. I decided to leave the Minotaur horn in my cabin, which left me only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Grover had found for me.**

"Yeah he probably asked one of us to find it." Laughed Travis and Connor.

**The camp store loaned me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told us, but Olympians never used less than pure gold.**

"Of course not, we be dazzeling." All of the Olympians just stared at Apollo like he was insane.

**Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions—whatever that meant.**

(past)Annabeth opened her mouth to explain what Chiron meant but everyone was spared the explanation by Grover who put his hand over her mouth.

**He gave Annabeth and me each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt. It was god food, Chiron reminded us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally.**

**Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom.**

**She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve.**

Percy, Nico, and Thalia all grimaced at the mention of the knife that belonged to Annabeth while Annabeth pulled it out and smiled at it.

**I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector.**

"O seaweed brain, what are we going to do with you?"Percy rolled his eyes at Thalia but there was a certain fondness in them.

**Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday,"**

"Ugh terrible songs" grimaced Thalia while Grover glared at her.

**both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.**

Grover then switched his glare to Percy who couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on his best friends face.

**We waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.**

Zeus was staring at his daughter just aching to know how she is no longer a tree.

**Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude I'd seen when I was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.**

**"This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."**

"Ugh terrible pun Chiron." Hermes groaned.

**I heard footsteps behind us.**

**Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.**

Hermes and Annabeth both smiled at the mention of Luke while Percy was trying to keep the scowl from showing on his face. The only ones who noticed Percy's expression were Thalia and Nico.

**"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."**

**Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.**

"Just like she is now" Connor stage whispered to Travis and Chris who both started to laugh while Annabeth blushed harder.

**"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told me. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these."**

**He handed me the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.**

Everyone looked at Percy like he was not right in the head and he couldn't help but blush a little bit.

**Luke said, "Maia!"**

**White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling me so much, I dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.**

**Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..." His expression turned sad.**

Thalia looked sad and slightly uncomfortable about the of Luke. Percy on the other hand was slowly breathing in and out counting in his head to control his temper. Nico put his arms around Percy and kissed him, making him forget about being angry and kissed him back, turning it into a make-out session.

**I didn't know what to say. It was cool enough that Luke had come to say good-bye. I'd been afraid he might resent me for getting so much attention the last few days. But here he was giving me a magic gift... It made me blush almost as much as Annabeth.**

Travis opened his mouth to tease Percy but he stopped when he saw Percy's eye start to twitch.

**"Hey, man," I said. "Thanks."**

**"Listen, Percy ..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just ... kill some monsters for me, okay?"**

**We shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, then gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out.**

**After Luke was gone, I told her, "You're hyperventilating."**

Annabeth glared at Percy who couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous expression on his friends' face.

**"Am not."**

**"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"**

**"Oh ... why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?"**

"Don't worry Annabeth we ask ourselves that all the time."Nico nodded his head to show he agreed with Thalia. Zeus and Hades both started to laugh which caused everyone to stare at the two Gods like this had never happened before.

"We have said the same thing about Poseidon." Gasped Hades while Zeus merely nodded his head. Poseidon and Percy both rolled their eyes at the respective groups which made them look like twins.

**She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.**

**I picked up the flying shoes and had a sudden bad feeling. I looked at Chiron. "I won't be able to use these, will I?"**

**He shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air ... that would not be wise for you."**

**I nodded, disappointed, but then I got an idea. "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"**

**His eyes lit up. "Me?"**

**Pretty soon we'd laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch.**

"The world's first flying goatboy…. Percy some days I don't know how you function" Nico teased.

"Shut up death breath."

**"Maia!" he shouted.**

Apollo and Areas both got wicked looks in their eyes, and this which left Hermes feeling very nervous.

**He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos.**

**"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"**

**"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van.**

Travis and Connor started to laugh but were stopped when Katie and Annabeth and smacked them in the back of the head.

**Before I could follow, Chiron caught my arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. "If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason—they all got more training."**

Chiron looked like he wanted to say more but he was cut off by Percy " Don't worry Chiron I'm here and alive. Besides I am more of get training on the fly guy." Both of his cousins were looking at him like he was insane and to them he was.

**"That's okay. I just wish—"**

**I stopped myself because I was about to sound like a brat. I was wishing my dad had given me a cool magic item to help on the quest, something as good as Luke's flying shoes, or Annabeth's invisible cap.**

"Pathetic boy" grumbled Artemis but there wasn't at much heat behind it as there normally would be,

**"What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this."**

**He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to me. It was an ordinary disposable ballpoint, black ink, removable cap. Probably cost thirty cents.**

Nico , Thalia, Chiron, and Poseidon were all looking at Percy like he had grown a second head.

"Yeah yeah yeah I know stupid thought" and with that he uncapped riptide and gazed at his sword lovingly.

**"Gee," I said. "Thanks."**

**"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."**

**I remembered the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when I'd vaporized Mrs. Dodds. Chiron had thrown me a pen that turned into a sword. Could this be ... ?**

Percy was still gazing at his weapon and didn't see his cousin and some of the younger demi-gods shaking with silent laughter.

**I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand.**

**"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told me.**

"That it does" replied Percy and Artemis sadly. Artemis looked at Percy with a look of shock that he might know the story behind the sword.

**"Its name is Anaklusmos."**

**"'Riptide,'" I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily.**

**"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn't harm them in any case."**

"See remember that Perce" Thalia said with a laugh.

**I looked at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it wouldn't harm mortals?" How could it not?"**

"Mortals are not important enough boy" Roared Zeus. Poseidon and Hades rolled their eyes at the youngest brother.

**"The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It's deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don't kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill.**

"Stop repeating yourself baby brother." Zeus looked like he was five seconds away from blasted Hades right back to the underworld while Poseidon was struggling to stay on his throne.

**And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."**

**"Good to know."**

**"Now recap the pen."**

**I touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. I tucked it in my pocket, a little nervous, because I was famous for losing pens at school.**

"Only you Kelp Head."

Percy would of said something back to Nico but he knew it would make him blush if he gave her a smirk and kept silent.

**"You can't," Chiron said.**

**"Can't what?"**

**"Lose the pen," he said.**

Before the Stole brothers could even ask Chiron stated "No I can't read minds I just have thousands of years at reading faces."

**"It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it."**

**I was wary, but I threw the pen as far as I could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.**

**"It may take a few moments," Chiron told me. "Now check your pocket."**

**Sure enough, the pen was there.**

"I can't even begin to count how many times that little feature has saved my life" Percy stated matter of factly. Everyone in the throne room with the exception of his cousins looked at him with varying degrees of shock. Though Nico looked at him with much more worry than shock.

How many times does my son almost die worried Poseidon.

**"Okay, that's extremely cool," I admitted. "But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?"**

**Chiron smiled. "Mist is a powerful thing, Percy."**

**"Mist?"**

**You will see things just as they are, being a half-blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. Remarkable, really, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."**

Thalia couldn't help the huge smile that spread onto her face but it quickly vanished when Percy doused her with water.

**I put Riptide back in my pocket.**

**For the first time, the quest felt real. I was actually leaving Half-Blood Hill.**

**I was heading west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, not even a cell phone. (Chiron said cell phones were traceable by monsters; if we used one, it would be worse than sending up a flare.) I had no weapon stronger than a sword to fight off monsters and reach the Land of the Dead.**

"Be careful little nephew, you may not like what you find in my kingdom." Poseidon looked like he wanted to jump on Hades and start smashing his head on the floor, but he stopped when he saw the smirk on his sons face.

"No worries uncle I am always careful when I go into your kingdom." This remark stripped the smile from Hades face and made Poseidon groan.

Making Nico wonder how many times Percy went into his father's realm and groaned.

**"Chiron ..." I said. "When you say the gods are immortal... I mean, there was a time before them, right?"**

At this all the Olympians and Percy groaned. Before Athena had a chance to chastise him Percy spoke up

"I just had to ask that."

**"Four ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age,**

"Bah golden age my…" Zeus was cut off by his wife putting her hand over his mouth.

**which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth Age."**

**"So what was it like ... before the gods?"**

"Terrible." Stated the children of Kronos and the children of the Elder gods. Everyone was looking at Nico, Thalia, and Percy with looks of terror.

"How do you" Athena started to ask but the looks on all three of their faces made her stop.

**Chiron pursed his lips. "Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind,**

"Bah good Titan" Growled Zeus and Percy.

**that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."**

**"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they're alive. So ... even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up every thing, right?"**

"We can't die nephew but we can fade away" Stated Hestia and all the gods and demi-gods looked sad at this. As one Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus all rose and walked to their eldest sister and gave her a hug.

"Don't worry sister we won't let you fade" whispered Hades and Zeus and Poseidon nodded in agreement.

**Chiron gave me a melancholy smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. They still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure end less pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."**

**"Our destiny ... assuming we know what that is."**

**"Relax," Chiron told me. "Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history."**

"Chiron not helping, not helping at all" grumbled Zeus and Poseidon although for different reasons.

Chiron had enough to sense to look embarrassed.

**"Relax," I said. "I'm very relaxed."**

**When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse-man form, holding his bow high in salute. Just your typical summer-camp send-off by your typical centaur.**

"Seems normal to me" joked Chris.

**Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to me as if we were normal carpoolers. After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy. I found myself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall.**

**"So far so good," I told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."**

"PERCY!"Shouted all the demi-gods while Athena and Artemis slapped their palms to their foreheads while grumbling "Boys."

**She gave me an irritated look. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."**

**"Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?"**

**"I don't hate you."**

**"Could've fooled me."**

**She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look ... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."**

**"Why?"**

Before either Poseidon or Athena could say anything, Percy cut them off.

"Basically Dad did something things that were very disrespectful to Athena, and then Athena reacted before she thought and they just like to argue for the sake of fighting with each other even though they will never admit it to anyone." The entire time he was talking Percy was glancing between his father and Athena as if daring one of them to try and correct him.

The Olympians were shaking from laughter while Poseidon and Athena refused to look at each other or anyone for that matter. Annabeth was looking at Percy in shock as was Nico and Thalia only those two were thinking that Percy had finally lost his marbles.

**She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful.**

Athena turned to glare at Poseidon at this point but he refused to look at her so he started to polish his trident again.

**Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."**

"Nah, I don't think that's why they picked her," Nico smirked, "they just didn't want to call their city Poseidonia or something like that."

Athena was trying very hard not to smile at what Nico said and Poseidon was debating if he should blast his nephew. But decided not to, cause he son might get mad at him for hurting Nico.

**"They must really like olives."**

Poseidon and Percy both had a twinkle in their eyes while Annabeth and Athena were shaking their head and scowling.

**"Oh, forget it."**

**"Now, if she'd invented pizza—that I could understand."**

**"I said, forget it!"**

**In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at me.**

**Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.**

**Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from my mom and Gabe's apartment. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with my picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?**

At the mention of Gabe Poseidon, Annabeth, Grover, and the cousins started to scowl.

**I ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover could notice.**

**Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.**

**I thought about how close I was to my old apartment. On a normal day, my mom would be home from the candy store by now. Smelly Gabe was probably up there right now, playing poker, not even missing her.**

**Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction I was looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"**

**I stared at him. "Were you reading my mind or some thing?"**

**"Just your emotions." He shrugged.**

**"That would have been nice to know about before then by the way."**

**"Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"**

**I nodded, wondering what else Grover might've forgotten to tell me.**

**"Your mom married Gabe for you," Grover told me. "You call him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura…. Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven't been near him for a week."**

All the females in the room wrinkled their noses at just the thought of that.

"Thanks," I said. "Where's the nearest shower?"

**"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago.**

**Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."**

**It didn't, but I forced myself not to show it.**

**I'll see her again, I thought. She isn't gone.**

**I wondered if Grover could still read my emotions, mixed up as they were. I was glad he and Annabeth were with me, but I felt guilty that I hadn't been straight with them. I hadn't told them the real reason I'd said yes to this crazy quest.**

**The truth was, I didn't care about retrieving Zeus's lightning bolt, or saving the world, or even helping my father out of trouble. The more I thought about it, I resented Poseidon for never visiting me, never helping my mom, never even sending a lousy child-support check. He'd only claimed me because he needed a job done.**

Poseidon looked down sadly at his feet while thinking of all the times he wished he could have been there for his son.

**All I cared about was my mom. Hades had taken her unfairly, and Hades was going to give her back.**

**You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, the Oracle whispered in my mind. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.**

**Shut up, I told it.**

Normally one of the children of Hermes or Hermes himself would have made some remark about how it is never good to hear voices in your head but they all decided against it when they saw the looks on Percy's and Poseidon's faces.

**The rain kept coming down.**

**We got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable.**

**She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever. I wasn't too bad myself.**

**The game ended when I tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappeared—core, stem, and all.**

**Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Annabeth and I were too busy cracking up.**

Percy had a smile on his face as he remembered it and couldn't help but chuckle a little at it.

**Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite school cafeteria delicacy—enchiladas.**

**Grover had a worried look on his face now.**

**"What is it?" I asked.**

**"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."**

**But I could tell it wasn't nothing. I started looking over my shoulder, too.**

**I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our back packs. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.**

**As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto my knee.**

Nico was glaring at Anna, until Percy whispered "Its not what you think" Making Nico shudder.

**"Percy."**

**An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and my heart skipped a beat.**

**It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face.**

Nico started to worry, "Well at least its not all three of them" thought Nico.

**I scrunched down in my seat.**

**Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses. Triplet demon grandmothers.**

"I had to think that, didn't I" thought Nico. And started to panic, which got Percy to pull him in his lap and wrap his arms around him. Whispering, "Don't worry so much, I'll be fine"

Nico whispered back, "I know, but that doesn't make me stop worrying about you when you're in danger"

"Really brother. You had to send all three after my son?" Poseidon asked.

**They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.**

**The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She didn't stay dead long," I said, trying to keep my voice from quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."**

**"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."**

"True story." Mumbled Thalia, while Percy could only stick his tongue out at her.

**"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"**

**"It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."**

**"They don't open," Grover moaned.**

**"A back exit?" she suggested.**

**There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.**

**"They won't attack us with witnesses around," I said. "Will they?"**

"Foolish boy they don't care for mortals." Grumbled Dionysus.

**"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded me. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."**

**"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?"**

**She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof ... ?"**

**We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.**

**Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room."**

**"So do I," said the second sister.**

**"So do I," said the third sister.**

"Could they be anymore obvious." Laughed Connor.

**They all started coming down the aisle.**

**"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."**

**"What?"**

**"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."**

"Please son go."

**"But you guys—"**

**"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."**

**"I can't just leave you."**

**"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"**

**My hands trembled. I felt like a coward, but I took the Yankees cap and put it on.**

**When I looked down, my body wasn't there anymore.**

**I started creeping up the aisle. I managed to get up ten rows, then duck into an empty seat just as the Furies walked past.**

**Mrs. Dodds stopped, sniffing, and looked straight at me. My heart was pounding.**

**Apparently she didn't see anything. She and her sisters kept going.**

**I was free. I made it to the front of the bus. We were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now. I was about to press the emergency stop button when I heard hideous wailing from the back row.**

Athena and Nico both looked worried at the one the cared for.

**The old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same—I guess those couldn't get any uglier—**

Nico laughed in agreement with that.

**but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.**

**The Furies surrounded Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"**

"What do they mean it?" Questioned Katie. When no one answered her Beckendorf went back to reading.

**The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They saw something, all right.**

**"He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone!"**

**The Furies raised their whips.**

**Annabeth drew her bronze knife. Grover grabbed a tin can from his snack bag and prepared to throw it.**

"A tin can? Really how will that help."

"Hush Clarisse it was all he had." Percy said.

**What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should've been named ADHD poster child of the year.**

Thalia, Nico, Poseidon, Athena, Annabeth, and Grover all groaned at this.

"What did you do?" Asked Nico and Thalia at the same time. All Percy could do was smile and say "What I do best."

**The bus driver was distracted, trying to see what was going on in his rearview mirror.**

**Still invisible, I grabbed the wheel from him and jerked it to the left. Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right, and I heard what I hoped was the sound of three Furies smashing against the windows.**

**"Hey!" the driver yelled. "Hey—whoa!"**

Zeus and Hades both started to laugh at this. They both couldn't help but think at least this boy is entertaining.

**We wrestled for the wheel. The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind us.**

**We careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed around the bus, cars plowed aside like bowling pins.**

"I hope you know how dangerous that was young man." Frowned Hestia.

**Somehow the driver found an exit. We shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of those New Jersey rural roads where you can't believe there's so much nothing right across the river from New York. There were woods to our left, the Hudson River to our right, and the driver seemed to be veering toward the river.**

**Another great idea:**

"O dear Zeus, what now Seaweed brain." Percy just smiled at his cousins and laughed at the expression they both had.

**I hit the emergency brake.**

"Percy, you are possibly the most awesome person ever. You must teach us when you get to camp." Percy saw the looks of panic on the campers and Chiron's faces so he didn't tell anything to Travis and Connor.

**The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him. I stepped into the driver's seat and let them pass.**

**The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.**

**I looked at the open doorway. I was free to go, but I couldn't leave my friends. I took off the invisible cap. "Hey!"**

"Percy!"

"Sorry Nico but I can't leave my friends behind." Athena was now sure she knew what Percy's fatal flaw was.

**The Furies turned, baring their yellow fangs at me, and the exit suddenly seemed like an excellent idea. Mrs. Dodds stalked up the aisle, just as she used to do in class, about to deliver my F- math test. Every time she flicked her whip, red flames danced along the barbed leather.**

**Her two ugly sisters hopped on top of the seats on either side of her and crawled toward me like huge nasty lizards.**

**"Perseus Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said, in an accent that was definitely from somewhere farther south than Georgia. "You have offended the gods. You shall die."**

**"I liked you better as a math teacher," I told her.**

**She growled.**

**Annabeth and Grover moved up behind the Furies cautiously, looking for an opening.**

**I took the ballpoint pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide elongated into a shimmering double-edged sword.**

**The Furies hesitated.**

**Mrs. Dodds had felt Riptide's blade before. She obviously didn't like seeing it again.**

"She still doesn't like me" added Percy conversationally. Nico couldn't help but snort "You've got that right."

**"Submit now," she hissed. "And you will not suffer eternal torment."**

**"Nice try," I told her.**

**"Percy, look out!" Annabeth cried.**

**Mrs. Dodds lashed her whip around my sword hand while the Furies on the either side lunged at me.**

**My hand felt like it was wrapped in molten lead, but I managed not to drop Riptide. I stuck the Fury on the left with its hilt, sending her toppling backward into a seat. I turned and sliced the Fury on the right. As soon as the blade connected with her neck, she screamed and exploded into dust. Annabeth got Mrs. Dodds in a wrestler's hold and yanked her backward while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.**

**"Ow!" he yelled. "Ow! Hot! Hot!"**

"It was on fire what did you expect?"

"Silence Caleb." Dionysus said.

**The Fury I'd hilt-slammed came at me again, talons ready, but I swung Riptide and she broke open like a piñata.**

**Mrs. Dodds was trying to get Annabeth off her back. She kicked, clawed, hissed and bit, but Annabeth held on while Grover got Mrs. Dodds's legs tied up in her own whip. Finally they both shoved her backward into the aisle. Mrs. Dodds tried to get up, but she didn't have room to flap her bat wings, so she kept falling down.**

**"Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!"**

**"Braccas meas vescimini!" I yelled.**

**I wasn't sure where the Latin came from.**

**I think it meant "Eat my pants!"**

**Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of my neck.**

**"Get out!" Annabeth yelled at me. "Now!" I didn't need any encouragement.**

**We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We're going to die!" A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped my photograph before I could recap my sword.**

"Ugh now they have pictures of you" groaned Poseidon.

**"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our—"**

**BOOOOOM!**

At that Beckendorf shouted the last line right in Chris' ear causing him to jump right out of his seat. Which caused everyone to have a good laugh.

**The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told me Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead.**

**"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"**

**We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us, and nothing but darkness ahead.**

"Well that was interesting." Finished Beckendorf "who would like to read next."

"I will" And with that Beckendorf passed the book to Silena.


	13. Chapter 11

AN: If I bring someone from the future in, that means the one from the past is sent back to Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

"Before we start, can we eat something? I'm hungry." Percy whined.

"Of course you're hungry." Nico mumbled.

"I agree with Percy!" Apollo and Hermes said together.

"Fine fine, a tiny break! We will resume later." Zeus frowned.

Everyone went off to do their own thing for a bit, most of the guys going to go eat.

-Throne Room-

A bright –not as bright as Apollo- golden flash thundered, and in that very spot, was a boy in a SUV who was quite tall and skinny, with very curly brown hair that hung in his gleaming blue eyes. He had a sarcastic and crooked grin, but when he looked up, confusion was written on his face.

"Why am I on Olympus?" the boy asked, looking around.

Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and Nico ran in the room, recognizing that voice.

"TRAVIS!" They yelled simultaneously.

"Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, why am I here?" Travis wondered.

"A better question is why are you in a SUV?"

"Oh, funny thing, Connor and I… Wait, where's Connor? Travis worried.

Suddenly, a scream was heard all throughout Olympus, and it was coming from the sky (Or roof). A black dot appeared, coming closer to the ground. 60 feet in the air, than 30, soon 20, as it closed up the distance falling to the floor. Surprisingly, Hermes appeared at the same time, in the exact spot where the person was going to fall, eating sushi he got from Japan.

"NomNomNomNom" Hermes crunched loudly, rubbing it in everyone's faces.

A split second later, the person landed right on Hermes, knocking his yummy sushi out of his hands. The kid looked identical to Travis, except that he was a little shorter. Chocolate bunnies were raining all over the place, one hitting Nico on the head hard.

"Ouch" Hermes, Nico and the kid yelled at the same time.

"GET OFF ME YOU BEAST. MY POOR SUSHI!" Hermes whined.

"D-dad?" The voice said, that the demigods instantly recognized as Connor Stoll.

Hermes looked at Connor in confusion. He couldn't be my child, could he?

"Great, do you have amnesia or something? You don't remember me? I thought gods were supposed to know all their children." Connor grumbled.

"Nope, were in the past, Connor." Percy spoke up. "Your dad probably doesn't recognize you because you're supposed to be younger."

"WHAT?" Connor and Travis said in unison.

"Connor and Travis Stoll…" Hermes whispered in shock.

"Call all the Olympians in, this is funny." Zeus stated, amused.

As the last Olympians gathered in the throne room, Hermes muttered something like "Connor and Travis? Sushi… California rolls… Suuuushi… Connor… Sushi gone…" and Travis and Connor were intently thinking, about going into the past, or possibly more pranks, while Nico was rubbing his head, talking rubbish about chocolate bunnies. After everyone explained what happened during the past few days and about going into the past, Connor and Travis just stared in awe.

"Wait, but how did we get here? And how will we go back!" Connor panicked.

"Does it really look like we know?" Annabeth replied.

"Whoa, Annabeth doesn't know something for once! Isn't this incredible?" Percy smiled a crooked grin, while Annabeth glared

"No wonder we didn't see any of you in camp Half-blood for a long time." Travis finally got out of his daze.

"You mean we were gone?" Percy's eyes widened. "That means, we've just been taken from the future and plopped into the past?"

"Apparently, yes." Athena responded.

"What about you, Travis and Connor. Why were there chocolate bunnies raining everywhere and why is there a SUV in the middle of the room." Thalia wondered, taking a bite out of one bunny's ear.

"Heh, Funny story." Travis snickered. "You see, Connor and I decided to pull a prank on the whole camp by putting chocolate Easter bunnies EVERYWHERE. We put them in every single cabin, and even in the big house! If you looked in your clothing drawer, ha you'll see bunnies instead!"

"Than I don't think Thalia should be eating those bunnies. You don't know where they could have been." Percy snickered, while Thalia gagged.

"As I was saying before Percy interrupted me, the Ares cabin was particularly furious, as we replaced they're weapons with chocolate, so they were chasing us everywhere." Travis laughed. "We decided to hotwire a car, in this case a SUV to escape the Ares cabin and their 'wrath."

"GO ARES CABIN!" none other than Ares yelled, while everyone else rolled their eyes.

"Anyways, we were driving, when suddenly Connor disappeared and I was transported here, on Olympus." Travis continued. "By the way, I still can't believe you have you're own book. That is so cool!"

"I guess so, except that everyone will hear my thoughts." Percy pouted.

"That's even better for us." Annabeth said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Percy chuckled nervously. Knowing full and well Annabeth, Thalia, and Nico, now Travis and Connor were going to torture him, because of his thoughts.

"Is everyone ready to start reading again?" Zeus sighed.

Heads bobbed up and down, as Silena snatched the book.

"The chapter is called–" Silena began.

"WAIT." Percy shouted, and ran out of the throne room.

A few minutes later, he came running in with cookies in his hand.

"You made us stop for some cookies?" Annabeth asked.

"Some damn good cookies!" Percy mumbled, stuffing some into his mouth. "And plus, Travis and Connor interrupted me before I got to finish."

Start reading Silena." Artemis asked.

**"We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium,"** Silena began.

"Does that ring a bell to anyone?" Poseidon asked.

The Olympians shook their heads.

"Hey, aren't we going start from the beginning? We have no idea what's going on!" Connor whined, while Travis nodded his head.

"Ha, too bad for you. We are not starting all over again." Thalia smirked.

"Evil" Travis muttered.

Thalia snorted. "And you've just realized that now?"

**In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong.**

"Huh." Hades commented. "I've never really thought of it that way."

**For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.**

"I guess that's true." Demeter agreed.

**So there we were, Annabeth and Grover and I, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind us, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in our noses.**

"Revolting." Aphrodite scowled.

**Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror.**

**"Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."**

"I still cant believe you sent all three of them." Hera said, Poseidon growling at Hades.

"Well, whatever he did, he probably deserved it." Hades shrugged.

"Or maybe you're just being overdramatic like always!" Poseidon glared.

Hades snorted. "I'm overdramatic? More like the two of you!"

Zeus crossed his arms. "I am not dramatic!"

"Yes you are." Poseidon and Hades said together, as everyone chuckled.

**I was pretty much in shock myself. The explosion of bus windows still rang in my ears. But Annabeth kept pulling us along, saying: "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."**

"Good advice." Athena nodded, while Annabeth grinned.

**"All our money was back there," I reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."**

**"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"**

**"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"**

"Yes" Athena thought. "Okay, maybe not."

**"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."**

**"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."**

"Way to lighten the mood, Grover." Thalia chuckled.

"Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.

**Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans ... a perfectly good bag of tin cans."**

"That's all he can think about right now?" Nico shook his head.

**We sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.**

"Yuck." Artemis scowled.

**After a few minutes, Annabeth fell into line next to me. "Look, I..." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."**

**"We're a team, right?"**

**She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died ... aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."**

**The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind us, leaving us in almost total darkness. I couldn't see anything of Annabeth except a glint of her blond hair.**

**"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" I asked her.**

**"No... only short field trips. My dad—"**

**"The history professor."**

**"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood ismy home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her.**

Athena sighed, shooting a guilty look at Annabeth.

**"At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."**

"Yup" Travis said, popping the 'p'.

"And were awesome, right Travis?" Connor added, Travis nodding his head vigorously.

**If I didn't know better, I could've sworn I heard doubt in her voice.**

**"You're pretty good with that knife," I said.**

**"You think so?"**

**"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."**

"Haha, I think it would be okay with anyone." Hermes laughed.

**I couldn't really see, but I thought she might've smiled.**

**"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you... Something funny back on the bus..."**

**Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill toot-toot-toot,like the sound of an owl being tortured.**

Athena glared at Percy.

Poseidon's laugh echoed throughout the room. "Nice one!"

**"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried.**

**"If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"**

"What is the satyr good for?" Zeus muttered.

**He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff.**

**Instead of finding a path, I immediately slammed into a tree and got a nice-size knot on my head.**

"Fail" Connor and Travis laughed.

**Add to the list of superpowers I did not have: infrared vision.**

"What made you think that you had infrared vision?" Thalia wondered.

"Well I can imagine, can't I?" Percy smiled.

**After tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, I started to see light up ahead: the colors of a neon sign. I could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food.**

"Since when does 'greasy' and 'excellent' go together?" Demeter wondered.

"Always!" Apollo joked.

**I realized I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy since I'd arrived at Half-Blood Hill, where we lived on grapes, bread, cheese, and extra-lean-cut nymph-prepared barbecue. This boy needed a double cheeseburger.**

Demeter, Hera and Aphrodite scowled in disgust while the guys drooled.

"Food!" Connor licked his mouth.

**We kept walking until I saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990s movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.**

**It wasn't a fast-food restaurant like I'd hoped. It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that. The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for me to read, because if there's anything worse for my dyslexia than regular English, it's red cursive neon English.**

**To me, it looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM.**

**"What the heck does that say?" I asked.**

**"I don't know," Annabeth said.**

**She loved reading so much, I'd forgotten she was dyslexic, too.**

**Grover translated: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."**

"I swear that sounds so familiar!" Poseidon rubbed his temples.

"It does, doesn't it?" Athena for once agreed with Poseidon.

**Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken.**

**I crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers.**

**"Hey..." Grover warned.**

Everyone sat forward in anticipation.

**"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."**

**"Snack bar," I said wistfully.**

**"Snack bar," she agreed.**

**"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird."**

"I knew food would be the death of someone one day!" Hera sighed, glancing at the guys.

**We ignored him.**

"I'm guessing that was a bad idea." Nico added.

"Well, it's not a good one." Thalia rolled her eyes.

**The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.**

**"Bla-ha-ha!"he bleated. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"**

Athena and Poseidon realized why it sounded so familiar, their eyes widening.

"Oh no, please tell me this isn't it." Poseidon muttered.

"Oh great, now he's facing Medusa, could this get any worse" Nico thought.

**We stopped at the warehouse door.**

**"Don't knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."**

**"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him.**

"So now I know why the satyr is good to have around." Zeus nodded his head.

**"All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"**

**"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."**

**"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," I reminded him.**

"Those aren't vegetables" Thalia commented, looking at Percy oddly.

**"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are ... looking at me."**

Percy shook his head. I should have listened to the goat.

**Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a tall Middle Eastern woman—at least, I assumed she was Middle Eastern, because she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all I could make out. Her coffee-colored hands looked old, but well-manicured and elegant, so I imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady.**

Most of the Olympians gasped, recognizing the description of the lady, while Poseidon slapped himself silly.

**Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"**

**"They're ... um ..." Annabeth started to say.**

**"We're orphans," I said.**

**"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"**

**"We got separated from our caravan," I said. "Our circus caravan.**

Most of them laughed, despite the tenseness in the air.

"Really? Circus Caravan?" Nico and Thalia laughed.

**The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"**

"Haha get right to the point I see." Travis cracked a smile.

**"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."**

**We thanked her and went inside.**

**Annabeth muttered to me, "Circus caravan?"**

**"Always have a strategy, right?"**

"Always have a good strategy" Thalia said.

**"Your head is full of kelp."**

"Yup" Hermes shook his head.

**The warehouse was filled with more statues—people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. I was thinking you'd have to have a pretty huge garden to fit even one of these statues, because they were all life-size. But mostly, I was thinking about food.**

"Can't we just turn boys into food?" Artemis pleaded.

"Or maybe cereal" Demeter added.

"That would be a good idea" Aphrodite nodded.

Percy laughed, but than stopped suddenly. "But than how would we eat ourselves?"

All the ladies shook their head in hopelessness.

**Go ahead, call me an idiot for walking into a strange lady's shop like that just because I was hungry,**

"You're an idiot." Every said in unison, resulting in laughter.

**but I do impulsive stuff sometimes. Plus, you've never smelled Aunty Em's burgers. The aroma was like laughing gas in the dentist's chair—it made everything else go away. I barely noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, or the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow me, or the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us.**

Percy mentally face palmed himself.

**All I cared about was finding the dining area. And sure enough, there it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.**

**"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said.**

"No no no no no no" Poseidon whispered.

**"Awesome," I said.**

**"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we don't have any money, ma'am."**

"I don't think she wants money." Hephaestus commented.

**Before I could jab him in the ribs, Aunty Em said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."**

**"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said.**

"How could I be so stupid" Annabeth whispered.

Percy looked at Annabeth seriously. "You're not stupid."

**Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done some thing wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly, so I figured it must've been my imagination.**

**"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful gray eyes, child."**

"Oh no, she knows!" Athena mumbled quietly.

**Only later did I wonder how she knew Annabeth's name, even though we had never introduced ourselves.**

**Our hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before we knew it, she'd brought us plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.**

"Yummy!" Apollo grinned.

"It was" Percy taunted.

**I was halfway through my burger before I remembered to breathe.**

**Annabeth slurped her shake.**

**Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.**

**"What's that hissing noise?" he asked.**

**I listened, but didn't hear anything. Annabeth shook her head.**

**"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."**

**"I take vitamins. For my ears."**

"Nice cover up" Nico smiled.

**"That's admirable," she said. "But please, relax."**

"How would anyone relax in that state." Hestia mumbled.

**Aunt Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her head dress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched us eat. It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at me when I couldn't see her face, but I was feeling satisfied after the burger, and a little sleepy, and I figured the least I could do was try to make small talk with our hostess.**

**"So, you sell gnomes," I said, trying to sound interested.**

**"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."**

**"A lot of business on this road?"**

**"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."**

**My neck tingled, as if somebody else was looking at me. I turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket.**

Artemis slouched, letting out a breath.

The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues.

**But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled, or even terrified.**

"I wonder why!" Hades sarcastically rolled his eyes.

**"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."**

"Well, I think its hard to keep a happy face when you're about to be turned into a statue." Ares sighed.

**"You make these statues yourself?" I asked.**

**"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.**

"Bad idea to feel sorry for Medusa." Apollo said.

"No, it's a good idea to feel sorry for a lady who turns people into statues!" Percy stated blandly.

**Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"**

"Yes Annabeth! Catch on!" Athena encouraged.

**"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young.**

"I wasn't jealous" Athena thought.

**I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."**

"Ehem Uncle P." Apollo pretended to cough, while Poseidon glared.

**I wasn't sure what she meant, but I felt bad for her.**

"Don't."

**My eyelids kept getting heavier, my full stomach making me sleepy. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt somebody so nice?**

**"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get my attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting."**

"It's too late." Hermes tried to sound scary and ominous.

"Not making anyone feel better!" Thalia yelled.

**She sounded tense. I wasn't sure why. Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she didn't say anything.**

**"Such beautiful gray eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen gray eyes like those."**

Annabeth shivered, while Athena flinched at the mention.

**She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.**

**"We really should go."**

**"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"**

**I didn't want to leave. I felt full and content. Aunty Em was so nice. I wanted to stay with her a while.**

**"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"**

**"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.**

**"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."**

"NO!" Poseidon yelled.

**Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy—"**

**"Sure we can," I said.**

"Percy, do you want everyone killed?"

"Well, not everyone." Travis and Connor tried to lighten the mood.

"It's not like I meant to do it!" Percy defended.

**I was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who'd just fed us for free. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"**

"Well, a lady is trying to turn you into a statue and sell you for profits, but either than that, nothing much." Connor commented, everyone looking at him weirdly.

**"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm."**

**I could tell Annabeth didn't like it, but she allowed Aunty Em to lead us back out the front door, into the garden of statues.**

**Aunty Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side."**

**"Not much light for a photo," I remarked.**

**"Oh, enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"**

**"Where's your camera?" Grover asked.**

Everyone gulped in anticipation.

**Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"**

**Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."**

**"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."**

**She still had no camera in her hands.**

Poseidon looked like he wanted to crawl into a corner and cover his ears, and Athena was biting her nails nervously. Calm down, they're right here with us, right?

**"Percy—" Annabeth said.**

**Some instinct warned me to listen to Annabeth, but I was fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.**

**"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil..."**

**"Percy, something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.**

**"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"**

**"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.**

**"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap onto her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Grover and me both off the bench.**

"Thank the gods!" Thalia and Nico screamed in unison, while some let out the breath they were holding in. Poseidon and Athena calmed down enough to not go insane.

**I was on the ground, looking at Aunt Em's sandaled feet.**

**I could hear Grover scrambling off in one direction, Annabeth in another. But I was too dazed to move.**

**Then I heard a strange, rasping sound above me. My eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which had turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails.**

**I almost looked higher, but somewhere off to my left Annabeth screamed, "No! Don't!"**

**More rasping—the sound of tiny snakes, right above me, from ... from about where Aunty Em's head would be.**

**"Run!" Grover bleated. I heard him racing across the gravel, yelling, "Maia!"**

Hermes frowned.

**to kick-start his flying sneakers.**

**I couldn't move. I stared at Aunty Em's gnarled claws, and tried to fight the groggy trance the old woman had put me in.**

**"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," she told me soothingly. "Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."**

"Don't." Poseidon thought.

**I fought the urge to obey. Instead I looked to one side and saw one of those glass spheres people put in gardens— a gazing ball. I could see Aunty Em's dark reflection in the orange glass; her headdress was gone, revealing her face as a shimmering pale circle. Her hair was moving, writhing like serpents.**

**Aunty Em.**

**Aunty "M."**

**How could I have been so stupid?**

"Don't blame yourself." Athena surprisingly said this. "Blame your father."

**Think, I told myself. How did Medusa die in the myth?**

**But I couldn't think. Something told me that in the myth Medusa had been asleep when she was attacked by my namesake, Perseus. She wasn't anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could take those talons right now and rake open my face.**

"She wouldn't dare." Poseidon and Nico muttered in gritted teeth.

**"The Gray-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, and she didn't sound anything like a monster. Her voice invited me to look up, to sympathize with a poor old grandmother. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."**

"She deserved it!" Athena retorted.

"Shhh…" Zeus rolled his eyes.

**"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, some where in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"**

**"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."**

"Looks like someone's not over Poseidon yet." Hades chuckled, Poseidon's glare boring into him.

**"No," I muttered. I tried to make my legs move.**

**"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."**

**"Percy!" Behind me, I heard a buzzing sound, like a two-hundred-pound hummingbird in a nosedive. Grover yelled, "Duck!"**

**I turned, and there he was in the night sky, flying in from twelve o'clock with his winged shoes fluttering, Grover, holding a tree branch the size of a baseball bat. His eyes were shut tight, his head twitched from side to side. He was navigating by ears and nose alone.**

**"Duck!" he yelled again. "I'll get her!"**

"Yay Grover" Thalia cheered.

**That finally jolted me into action. Knowing Grover, I was sure he'd miss Medusa and nail me.**

"I wouldn't be surprised." Dionysus said, bored.

**I dove to one side.**

**Thwack!**

**At first I figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage.**

**"You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I'll add you to my collection!"**

**"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.**

**I scrambled away and hid in the statuary while Grover swooped down for another pass.**

**Ker-whack!**

**"Arrgh!" Medusa yelled, her snake-hair hissing and spitting.**

**Right next to me, Annabeth's voice said, "Percy!"**

**I jumped so high my feet nearly cleared a garden gnome. "Jeez! Don't do that!"**

**Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible. "You have to cut her head off."**

"Ewww." Aphrodite and Connor scowled.

**"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here."**

**"Bad idea."**

**"Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but..." Annabeth swallowed, as if she were about to make a difficult admission. "But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You—you've got a chance."**

**"What? I can't—"**

**"Look, do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?"**

"Pfft, that's a pretty dumb question for a daughter of Athena." Connor interrupted, while Athena, Percy and Annabeth glared at him.

**She pointed to a pair of statue lovers, a man and a woman with their arms around each other, turned to stone by the monster.**

"That is just plain sad." Travis sighed.

**Annabeth grabbed a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. "A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of—"**

"What?" Poseidon asked, confused.

"That did not make sense at all." Nico agreed, Travis and Connor nodding their heads.

**"Would you speak English?"**

**"I am!"She tossed me the glass ball.**

**"Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly."**

**"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above us. "I think she's unconscious!"**

**"Roooaaarrr!"**

**"Maybe not," Grover corrected. He went in for another pass with the tree branch.**

"Haha, good 'ole satyr." Travis and Connor laughed.

**"Hurry," Annabeth told me. "Grover's got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash."**

**I took out my pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide elongated in my hand.**

**I followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa's hair.**

**I kept my eyes locked on the gazing ball so I would only glimpse Medusa's reflection, not the real thing. Then, in the green tinted glass, I saw her.**

**Grover was coming in for another turn at bat, but this time he flew a little too low. Medusa grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"**

"Finally the real action is starting!" Ares cheered.

**Medusa was about to lunge at him when I yelled, "Hey!"**

**I advanced on her, which wasn't easy, holding a sword and a glass ball. If she charged, I'd have a hard time defending myself.**

**But she let me approach—twenty feet, ten feet.**

**I could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it wasn't really thatugly. The green swirls of the gazing ball must be distorting it, making it look worse.**

"Sadly, that isn't true." Aphrodite snickered.

"Well, she was pretty before." Poseidon tried not to laugh.

**"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't."**

"Actually, I think he would." Nico said.

**I hesitated, fascinated by the face I saw reflected in the glass—the eyes that seemed to burn straight through the green tint, making my arms go weak.**

**From the cement grizzly, Grover moaned, "Percy, don't listen to her!"**

**Medusa cackled. "Too late."**

**She lunged at me with her talons.**

**I slashed up with my sword, heard a sickening shlock!, then a hiss like wind rushing out of a cavern—the sound of a monster disintegrating.**

The whole room burst into cheers.

"Yeah! Awesome going man." Connor and Travis said together.

"What a weird lady." Thalia stuck out her tongue

**Something fell to the ground next to my foot. It took all my willpower not to look. I could feel warm ooze soaking into my sock, little dying snake heads tugging at my shoelaces.**

"Disgusting!" Demeter and Aphrodite gagged.

"You mean awesome!" the twins cheered.

**"Oh, yuck," Grover said. His eyes were still tightly closed, but I guess he could hear the thing gurgling and steaming. "Mega-yuck."**

**Annabeth came up next to me, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. She said, "Don't move."**

**Very, very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice.**

**"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice trembling.**

**"Yeah," I decided, though I felt like throwing up my double cheeseburger. "Why didn't... why didn't the head evaporate?"**

**"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."**

**Grover moaned as he climbed down from the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves. The magic sneakers were flying aimlessly around his head.**

"My shoes" Hermes pouted.

**"The Red Baron," I said. "Good job, man."**

"See? The Satyr is not so useless after all." Hera smiled at Zeus, who rolled his eyes.

**He managed a bashful grin. "That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun."**

The whole room burst into laughter.

**He snatched his shoes out of the air. I recapped my sword. Together, the three of us stumbled back to the warehouse.**

**We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. We plopped it on the table where we'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.**

**Finally I said, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"**

Athena crossed her arms, half-heartedly glaring at Percy.

**Annabeth flashed me an irritated look. "Your dad, actually.**

Athena smiled at Poseidon, while he just pouted. Not true.

**Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend.**

"She wasn't exactly my girlfriend." Poseidon muttered.

"Than what was she?" Athena shook her head.

"Lover" Poseidon stuck his tongue out.

**They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."**

The Olympians chuckled, making Percy embarrassed.

**My face was burning. "Oh, so now it's my fault we met Medusa."**

**Annabeth straightened. In a bad imitation of my voice, she said: "'It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?'"**

**"Forget it," I said. "You're impossible."**

**"You're insufferable."**

**"You're—"**

**"Hey!" Grover interrupted. "You two are giving me a migraine, and satyrs don't even get migraines. What are we going to do with the head?"**

**I stared at the thing. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!**

**I was angry, not just with Annabeth or her mom, but with all the gods**

Zeus glared, while the other gods and goddesses winced.

**for this whole quest, for getting us blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. At this rate, we'd never make it to L.A. alive, much less before the summer solstice.**

**What had Medusa said?**

**Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue.**

"Who would ever listen to Medusa" Athena scoffed.

**I got up. "I'll be back."**

**"Percy," Annabeth called after me. "What are you—"**

"I somehow have a feeling this is not a good idea." Thalia mused, while Percy chuckled nervously.

**I searched the back of the warehouse until I found Medusa's office. Her account book showed her six most recent sales, all shipments to the Underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden.**

Everyone at Hades, who shrugged.

"Persephone orders them and puts them around the palace." Hades said.

The ladies nodded their heads while the guys sighed loudly.

**According to one freight bill, the Underworld's billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. I folded up the bill and stuffed it in my pocket.**

"For once Percy has a good idea! Nice job." Nico smiled happily.

**In the cash register I found twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas, and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. I rummaged around the rest of the office until I found the right-size box.**

**I went back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:**

**The Gods**

**Mount Olympus**

**600th Floor,**

**Empire State Building**

**New York, NY**

**With best wishes,**

**PERCY JACKSON**

"WHAT… HOW DARE YOU…" Zeus sputtered, the other Olympians looking at Percy incredulously. Suddenly, everyone burst out laughing, while Zeus, Athena, Artemis, and Hera sat there mortified. Percy just shrugged like it wasn't his fault.

**"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."**

Everyone could hear Zeus fuming in the background.

**I poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as I closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a pop!**

**"I amimpertinent," I said.**

"Yep" Thalia, Nico, Connor and Travis agreed.

**I looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize.**

**She didn't. She seemed resigned to the fact that I had a major talent for ticking off the gods. "Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."**

"That's it" Silena said.

"So this is what you guys have been doing the past few days…" Connor mentioned.

"Yup" Nico cheerily replied, popping the 'p'.

"I thought we've been over this." Annabeth groaned.

"I'll read next" Hades grunted.

Silena handed the book to Hades, and he started reading.


	14. Chapter 12

**"We Get Advice from a Poodle," **Hades began.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Travis consulted, causing Percy to shrug.

"Whose idea was it anyways?" Connor asked.

"Grover" Annabeth replied.

"Oh, it figures. Percy can talk to horses and sea animals, and Grover can talk to poodles." Nico chuckled.

"Who can you talk to, Annabeth?" Thalia smiled.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Humans"

**We were pretty miserable that night.**

**We camped out in the woods, a hundred yards from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties.**

**The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast-food wrappers.**

**We'd taken some food and blankets from Aunty Em's, but we didn't dare light a fire to dry our damp clothes. The Furies and Medusa had provided enough excitement for one day. We didn't want to attract anything else.**

**We decided to sleep in shifts. I volunteered to take first watch.**

"What a gentleman" Demeter smiled, making Percy blush.

**Annabeth curled up on the blankets and was snoring as soon as her head hit the ground.**

**Grover fluttered with his flying shoes to the lowest bough of a tree, put his back to the trunk, and stared at the night sky.**

**"Go ahead and sleep," I told him. "I'll wake you if there's trouble."**

**He nodded, but still didn't close his eyes. "It makes me sad, Percy."**

**"What does? The fact that you signed up for this stupid quest?"**

**"No. This makes me sad." He pointed at all the garbage on the ground. "And the sky. You can't even see the stars. They've polluted the sky. This is a terrible time to be a satyr."**

**He glared at me. "Only a human wouldn't be. Your species is clogging up the world so fast ... ah, never mind. It's useless to lecture a human. At the rate things are going, I'll never find Pan."**

Hermes frowned, remembering Pan.

"Hey, we could still save Pan right? We're here to change the future after all." Percy said, trying to comfort Hermes.

Hermes smiled sadly. "It's too late. He wouldn't want to change the future anyways. It was his fate."

**"Pam? Like the cooking spray?"**

The council burst into laughter, not including Hermes, who just sat there sad.

**"Pan!" he cried indignantly. "P-A-N. The great god Pan! What do you think I want a searcher's license for?"**

**A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rain water, things that might've once been in these woods. Suddenly I was nostalgic for something I'd never known.**

**"Tell me about the search," I said.**

**Grover looked at me cautiously, as if he were afraid I was just making fun.**

"I wouldn't make fun of Grover. Unless he deserved it." Percy added.

**"The God of Wild Places disappeared two thousand years ago," he told me. "A sailor off the coast of Ephesos heard a mysterious voice crying out from the shore, 'Tell them that the great god Pan has died!' When humans heard the news, they believed it. They've been pillaging Pan's kingdom ever since. But for the satyrs, Pan was our lord and master. He protected us and the wild places of the earth. We refuse to believe that he died. In every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to find where he is hidden, and wake him from his sleep."**

"How nice of the satyrs" Demeter smiled sadly.

**"And you want to be a searcher."**

**"It's my life's dream," he said. "My father was a searcher. And my Uncle Ferdinand ... the statue you saw back there—"**

**"Oh, right, sorry."**

**Grover shook his head. "Uncle Ferdinand knew the risks. So did my dad. But I'll succeed. I'll be the first searcher to return alive."**

**"Hang on—the first?"**

The demigods shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.

**Grover took his reed pipes out of his pocket. "No searcher has ever come back. Once they set out, they disappear. They're never seen alive again."**

**"Not once in two thousand years?"**

**"No."**

**"And your dad? You have no idea what happened to him?"**

**"None."**

**"But you still want to go," I said, amazed. "I mean, you really think you'll be the one to find Pan?"**

**"I have to believe that, Percy. Every searcher does. It's the only thing that keeps us from despair when we look at what humans have done to the world. I have to believe Pan can still be awakened."**

**I stared at the orange haze of the sky and tried to understand how Grover could pursue a dream that seemed so hopeless. Then again, was I any better?**

Some of the gods and goddesses shook their heads.

**"How are we going to get into the Underworld?" I asked him. "I mean, what chance do we have against a god?"**

**"None. You probably cant even get into my domain." Hades chuckled.**

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other snickering.

**"I don't know," he admitted. "But back at Medusa's, when you were searching her office? Annabeth was telling me—"**

**"Oh, I forgot. Annabeth will have a plan all figured out."**

**"Don't be so hard on her, Percy. She's had a tough life, but she's a good person. After all, she forgave me..." His voice faltered.**

Zeus growled quietly.

**"What do you mean?" I asked. "Forgave you for what?"**

**Suddenly, Grover seemed very interested in playing notes on his pipes.**

**"Wait a minute," I said. "Your first keeper job was five years ago. Annabeth has been at camp five years. She wasn't ... I mean, your first assignment that went wrong—"**

**"I can't talk about it," Grover said, and his quivering lower lip suggested he'd start crying if I pressed him. "But as I was saying, back at Medusa's, Annabeth and I agreed there's something strange going on with this quest. Some thing isn't what it seems."**

**"Well, duh. I'm getting blamed for stealing a thunder bolt that Hades took."**

"Why does everyone always blame everything on me!" Hades threw his hands in the air dramatically.

"Who's being dramatic now" Zeus mumbled, glaring.

"Because you're usually the evil one." Poseidon smiled.

"Am not!" Hades protested.

"Stop acting like kindergartners!" Hera rolled her eyes.

**"That's not what I mean," Grover said. "The Fur—The Kindly Ones were sort of holding back. Like Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy ... why did she wait so long to try to kill you? Then on the bus, they just weren't as aggressive as they could've been."**

"True." Artemis added.

**"They seemed plenty aggressive to me."**

"Oh please. They weren't even half aggressive as they usually are." Hades said.

**Grover shook his head. "They were screeching at us: 'Where is it? Where?'"**

**"Asking about me," I said.**

**"Maybe ... but Annabeth and I, we both got the feeling they weren't asking about a person. They said 'Where is it?' They seemed to be asking about an object."**

**"That doesn't make sense."**

**"I know. But if we've misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt..." He looked at me like he was hoping for answers, but I didn't have any.**

"Never ask a child of Poseidon for answers." Athena smirked.

"Hey!" Percy frowned.

**I thought about what Medusa had said: I was being used by the gods. What lay ahead of me was worse than petrification. "I haven't been straight with you," I told Grover. "I don't care about the master bolt. I agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother."**

"My master bolt is a million times more important than your mother!" Zeus told the book sternly.

"Not true." Percy and Poseidon chuckled at the same time.

**Grover blew a soft note on his pipes. "I know that, Percy. But are you sure that's the only reason?"**

**"I'm not doing it to help my father. He doesn't care about me. I don't care about him."**

"I didn't really mean it, dad." Percy looked at Poseidon guiltily.

"I know." Poseidon smiled half-heartedly.

**Grover gazed down from his tree branch. "Look, Percy, I'm not as smart as Annabeth. I'm not as brave as you. But I'm pretty good at reading emotions. You're glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he's claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That's why you mailed Medusa's head to Olympus. You wanted him to notice what you'd done."**

**"Yeah? Well maybe satyr emotions work differently than human emotions. Because you're wrong. I don't care what he thinks."**

Everyone remained quiet, so to break the awkward silence, Hades read on.

**Grover pulled his feet up onto the branch. "Okay, Percy. Whatever."**

**"Besides, I haven't done anything worth bragging about. We barely got out of New York and we're stuck here with no money and no way west."**

**Grover looked at the night sky, like he was thinking about that problem. "How about I take first watch, huh? You get some sleep."**

**I wanted to protest, but he started to play Mozart, soft and sweet, and I turned away, my eyes stinging. After a few bars of Piano Concerto no. 12, I was asleep.**

**In my dreams, I stood in a dark cavern before a gaping pit.**

"A pit?" Hades pondered, before continuing to read.

**Gray mist creatures churned all around me, whispering rags of smoke that I somehow knew were the spirits of the dead.**

"It can't be the pit, right?" Zeus bit his lip, everyone looking at Percy, who looked at his shoes for a long time.

**They tugged at my clothes, trying to pull me back, but I felt compelled to walk forward to the very edge of the chasm.**

**Looking down made me dizzy.**

**The pit yawned so wide and was so completely black, I knew it must be bottomless. Yet I had a feeling that some thing was trying to rise from the abyss, something huge and evil.**

"Hmm… I wonder what a yawning abyss would look like." Connor wondered.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to see it." Percy said darkly.

**The little hero,an amused voice echoed far down in the darkness. Too weak, too young, but perhaps you will do.**

**The voice felt ancient—cold and heavy. It wrapped around me like sheets of lead.**

**They have misled you, boy,it said. Barter with me. I will give you what you want.**

"No, that can't be true." Hades thought.

**A shimmering image hovered over the void: my mother, frozen at the moment she'd dissolved in a shower of gold. Her face was distorted with pain, as if the Minotaur were still squeezing her neck. Her eyes looked directly at me, pleading: Go!**

"Turn back now! This is bad news." Poseidon muttered under his breath.

**I tried to cry out, but my voice wouldn't work.**

**Cold laughter echoed from the chasm.**

**An invisible force pulled me forward. It would drag me into the pit unless I stood firm.**

**Help me rise, voice became hungrier. Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods!**

"Crap!" Apollo put his head in his hands.

**The spirits of the dead whispered around me, No! Wake!**

Everyone was just speechless.

**The image of my mother began to fade. The thing in the pit tightened its unseen grip around me.**

**I realized it wasn't interested in pulling me in. It was using me to pull itself out.**

**Good,it murmured. Good.**

**Wake!the dead whispered. Wake!**

**Someone was shaking me.**

**My eyes opened, and it was daylight.**

**"Well," Annabeth said, "the zombie lives."**

**I was trembling from the dream. I could still feel the grip of the chasm monster around my chest. "How long was I asleep?"**

**"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." Annabeth tossed me a bag of nacho-flavored corn chips from Aunty Em's snack bar.**

**"And Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."**

**My eyes had trouble focusing.**

**Grover was sitting cross-legged on a blanket with something fuzzy in his lap, a dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed animal.**

**No. It wasn't a stuffed animal. It was a pink poodle.**

**The poodle yapped at me suspiciously. Grover said, "No, he's not."**

**I blinked. "Are you ... talking to that thing?"**

**The poodle growled.**

**"This thing," Grover warned, "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."**

**"You can talk to animals?"**

**Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."**

"What kind of name is Gladiola?" Aphrodite scowled.

"Have you noticed that almost here has weird names too?" Percy asked Aphrodite.

"We do not have weird names!" Thalia and Annabeth yelled, while Hermes, Artemis and Poseidon nodded their heads.

"Who doesn't have a weird name here?" Ares wondered.

Percy smiled. "Connor, Nico and Travis. They actually have normal names."

"Harsh." Apollo pouted.

**I stared at Annabeth, figuring she'd crack up at this practical joke they were playing on me, but she looked deadly serious.**

**"I'm not saying hello to a pink poodle," I said. "Forget it."**

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."**

"Sheesh, just say hi to the freaking pink poodle!" Ares exclaimed.

"No need to be rude." Percy frowned.

"When is he not rude?" Artemis snickered.

**The poodle growled.**

**I said hello to the poodle.**

"Good." Dionysus rolled his eyes. "Now we can finish this book faster."

**Grover explained that he'd come across Gladiola in the woods and they'd struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away from a rich local family, who'd posted a $200 reward for his return. Gladiola didn't really want to go back to his family, but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.**

**"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" I asked.**

**"He read the signs," Grover said. "Duh."**

**"Of course," I said. "Silly me."**

Everyone looked dead serious, than burst out into laughter.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Oh well sorry if I didn't know poodles could read!"

**"So we turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice, "we get money, and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."**

**I thought about my dream—the whispering voices of the dead, the thing in the chasm, and my mother's face, shimmering as it dissolved into gold. All that might be waiting for me in the West.**

**"Not another bus," I said warily.**

**"No," Annabeth agreed.**

**She pointed downhill, toward train tracks I hadn't been able to see last night in the dark. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the west bound train leaves at noon."**

"Who wants to read next?" Hades asked.

No one put their hand up, so he whipped it at Dionysus. Sadly, Dionysus wasn't ready so he got hit in the face with the book.

"OUCH. WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Dionysus huffed.

Hades just shrugged. "No one wanted to read."

"So you just throw the book at my awesome face?" Dionysus yelled.

"Yes" Percy agreed.

"Shut up Peter Johnson." Dionysus replied.

"How the hell do you still call me the wrong name when you're reading about me!" Percy and Poseidon glared at Dionysus.

"True, his name is on the cover." Nico added.

"Just read already!" Zeus impatiently told Dionysus.

"Fine."


	15. Chapter 13

**"I Plunge to my Death,"**Dionysus yawned.

"Read properly, will you!" Hermes complained.

"It's not like I want to read this boring book!" Dionysus retorted.

"How is this book boring?" Percy pouted. "I'm like kicking ass every five seconds!"

"More like getting your ass kicked." Thalia retorted.

"It's boring because it involves brats like you!" Dionysus smiled for once.

"Mean gods these days" Percy whispered to Nico, who snickered at his expression. Then leaned against him.

"This chapter doesn't sound too good!" Poseidon whimpered.

"What chapter does sound good?" Nico wondered.

"The chapters that don't involve the word death!"

"Death is a pretty cool word!" Nico retorted, while Hades nodded his head. While thinking, "The only times death isn't a cool, word when it involves Percy."

"Only Hades and his children would think that." Thalia muttered.

**We spent two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain.**

**We weren't attacked once, but I didn't relax.**

"A new record!" Thalia cheered.

**I felt that we were traveling around in a display case, being watched from above and maybe from below, that something was waiting for the right opportunity.**

"Well that actually might be true." Demeter said.

**I tried to keep a low profile because my name and picture were splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The Trenton Register-Newsshowed a photo taken by a tourist as I got off the Greyhound bus. I had a wild look in my eyes. My sword was a metallic blur in my hands. It might've been a baseball bat or a lacrosse stick.**

**The picture's caption read:**

**Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers.**

"Mortals are so idiotic!" an outraged Poseidon yelled.

"Calm down, it was probably the mist's fault." Artemis soothed.

**The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be traveling with two teenage accomplices. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.**

Poseidon glared at the book. "I swear he will regret it!"

Percy grinned uncontrollably and began laughing.

"What's so funny?" everyone looked at him.

"I t-think he already r-regrets messing with t-the Jacksons!"

"What did you do now?" Artemis wondered.

"You'll find out later." Was all Percy said.

"When did you get all so mysterious?" Nico muttered.

**"Don't worry," Annabeth told me. "Mortal police could never find us." But she didn't sound so sure.**

**The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train (because I had a really hard time sitting still) or looking out the windows.**

**Once, I spotted a family of centaurs galloping across a wheat field, bows at the ready, as they hunted lunch.**

**The little boy centaur, who was the size of a second-grader on a pony, caught my eye and waved. I looked around the passenger car, but nobody else had noticed. The adult riders all had their faces buried in laptop computers or magazines.**

**Another time, toward evening, I saw something huge moving through the woods. I could've sworn it was a lion, except that lions don't live wild in America, and this thing was the size of a Hummer.**

"Could it be the Nemean Lion?" Aphrodite asked.

Its fur glinted gold in the evening light. Then it leaped through the trees and was gone.

"Yup" Nico, Percy, Thalia, Connor and Travis agreed.

**Our reward money for returning Gladiola the poodle had only been enough to purchase tickets as far as Denver. We couldn't get berths in the sleeper car, so we dozed in our seats. My neck got stiff. I tried not to drool in my sleep, since Annabeth was sitting right next to me.**

**Grover kept snoring and bleating and waking me up.**

**Once, he shuffled around and his fake foot fell off. Annabeth and I had to stick it back on before any of the other passengers noticed.**

"Irresponsible satyr" Zeus huffed.

**"So," Annabeth asked me, once we'd gotten Grover's sneaker readjusted. "Who wants your help?"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled, 'I won't help you.' Who were you dreaming about?"**

**I was reluctant to say anything. It was the second time I'd dreamed about the evil voice from the pit.**

**But it bothered me so much I finally told her.**

**Annabeth was quiet for a long time. "That doesn't sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."**

"Is it just me, or does that sound harsh?" Hades frowned.

"They were just telling the truth." Zeus spoke up, the demigods laughing silently.

"How mean! I laugh sometimes!"

**"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?"**

**"I guess ... if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld.' If he wants war with the Olympians. But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?"**

"I don't–" Hades began.

"Yeah we get it. You don't have it, start reading wine dude!" Apollo interrupted.

"Don't call me wine dude, and stop acting like a kid!" Dionysus fumed.

"Well, I'm a kid compared to the titans!" Apollo argued.

"But compared to these brats," Dionysus waved to the demigods, "You're like as old as a freaking grandpa."

"Should we be angry?" Nico asked.

"No, Nico. That is a good thing, unless you want to be as old as Apollo." Percy answered.

"Eww, no way!" Nico yelled, making everyone to laugh as Apollo pouted.

**I shook my head, wishing I knew the answer. I thought about what Grover had told me, that the Furies on the bus seemed to have been looking for something.**

**Where is it? Where?**

**Maybe Grover sensed my emotions. He snorted in his sleep, muttered something about vegetables, and turned his head.**

"Yuck, who dreams about vegetables?" Hades grunted.

"Me!" Demeter huffed.

**Annabeth readjusted his cap so it covered his horns. "Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right? He's deceitful, heartless, and greedy.**

"THAT IS JUST PLAIN MEAN." Hades shouted.

"Sorry" Annabeth stated sheepishly.

"I may be deceitful and greedy, but heartless? Really?"

Percy put his hand up in surrender. "That's what every demigod thinks."

"THE WORLD IS CRUEL!" Hades mocked horror.

**I don't care if his Kindly Ones weren't as aggressive this time—"**

**"This time?" I asked. "You mean you've run into them before?"**

**Her hand crept up to her necklace. She fingered a glazed white bead painted with the image of a pine tree, one of her clay end-of-summer tokens. "Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom."**

**"What would you do if it was your dad?"**

**"That's easy," she said. "I'd leave him to rot."**

"Annabeth!" Athena bit her lip.

Annabeth just shrugged.

**"You're not serious?"**

**Annabeth's gray eyes fixed on me. She wore the same expression she'd worn in the woods at camp, the moment she drew her sword against the hellhound. "My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy," she said. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent."**

"It was just too painful for him." Athena looked at Annabeth.

"Yeah, I know now." Annabeth softly replied.

"But how ... I mean, I guess you weren't born in a hospital..."

**"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he'd take some digital photos or some thing. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist."**

"Fredrick wasn't like that before." Athena muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "He would never do that."

**I stared out the train window. The lights of a sleeping town were drifting by. I wanted to make Annabeth feel better, but I didn't know how.**

**"My mom married a really awful guy," I told her. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking."**

**Annabeth kept worrying at her necklace. She was pinching the gold college ring that hung with the beads. It occurred to me that the ring must be her father's. I wondered why she wore it if she hated him so much.**

**"He doesn't care about me," she said. "His wife—my stepmom—treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened—you know, something with monsters—they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk.' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away."**

Athena's face had a mix of anger, shame and guilt.

**"How old were you?"**

**"Same age as when I started camp. Seven."**

**"But ... you couldn't have gotten all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourself."**

**"Not alone, no. Athena watched over me, guided me toward help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway."**

"Thalia and Luke were great company, and we had so many great times." Annabeth grinned sadly at Thalia.

**I wanted to ask what happened, but Annabeth seemed lost in sad memories. So I listened to the sound of Grover snoring and gazed out the train windows as the dark fields of Ohio raced by.**

**Toward the end of our second day on the train, June 13, eight days before the summer solstice, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St. Louis. Annabeth craned her neck to see the Gateway Arch, which looked to me like a huge shopping bag handle stuck on the city.**

"Such an insult!" Athena exclaimed.

**"I want to do that," she sighed.**

**"What?" I asked.**

**"Build something like that. You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?"**

Everyone rolled their eyes while Athena and Annabeth grinned uncontrollably.

**"Only in pictures."**

**"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."**

**I laughed. "You? An architect?"**

**I don't know why, but I found it funny. Just the idea of Annabeth trying to sit quietly and draw all day.**

**Her cheeks flushed. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention."**

"I don't always tear things down!" Poseidon argued.

**I watched the churning brown water of the Mississippi below.**

**"Sorry," Annabeth said. "That was mean."**

"Very mean" Poseidon sniffed.

**"Can't we work together a little?" I pleaded. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?"**

Athena and Poseidon scowled at this.

**Annabeth had to think about it. "I guess ... the chariot," she said tentatively. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."**

**"Then we can cooperate, too. Right?"**

**We rode into the city, Annabeth watching as the Arch disappeared behind a hotel.**

**"I suppose," she said at last.**

**We pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we'd have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver.**

**Grover stretched. Before he was even fully awake, he said, "Food."**

**"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said. "Sightseeing."**

**"Sightseeing?"**

**"The Gateway Arch," she said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"**

**Grover and I exchanged looks.**

**I wanted to say no, but I figured that if Annabeth was going, we couldn't very well let her go alone.**

"Good idea" Demeter agreed.

"My daughter is very capable of taking care of herself!"

**Grover shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."**

**The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in weren't that long. We threaded our way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other junk from the 1800s. It wasn't all that thrilling, but Annabeth kept telling us interesting facts about how the Arch was built, and Grover kept passing me jelly beans, so I was okay.**

"Foooood!" Hermes and Apollo cheered.

"Yumm…" Connor, Travis and Nico drooled.

"They were delicious!" Percy added.

"Boys and their food!" Artemis crossed her arms.

**I kept looking around, though, at the other people in line. "You smell anything?" I murmured to Grover.**

**He took his nose out of the jelly-bean bag long enough to sniff. "Underground," he said distastefully. "Under ground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."**

"This satyr needs to be more careful!" Zeus exclaimed.

**But something felt wrong to me. I had a feeling we shouldn't be here.**

**"Guys," I said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"**

**Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, but she looked over. "Yeah?"**

**"Well, Hade—"**

**Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place... You mean, our friend downstairs?"**

"I never knew you had demigods as friends, Hades." Hermes joked.

"Well, I'm that popular!" Hades laughed for once.

"OH MY GODS, CALL A MEETING, HADES JUST LAUGHED!" Apollo screamed loudly.

"Everyone is already here." Artemis slapped Apollo on the head.

"Oh yeah…"

**"Um, right," I said. "Our friend waydownstairs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"**

"It's not a hat." Hades frowned.

**"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."**

**"He was there?" I asked.**

**She nodded. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus—the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true..."**

**"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"**

**"But then ... how do we know he's not here right now, watching us?" I asked.**

"Do you really think I have time to stalk demigods?" Hades asked.

"Yes" everyone responded, causing Hades to huff.

**Annabeth and Grover exchanged looks.**

**"We don't," Grover said.**

**"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," I said. "Got any blue jelly beans left?"**

**I'd almost mastered my jumpy nerves when I saw the tiny little elevator car we were going to ride to the top of the Arch, and I knew I was in trouble. I hate confined places. They make me nuts.**

**We got shoehorned into the car with this big fat lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. I figured maybe the dog was a seeing-eye Chihuahua, because none of the guards said a word about it.**

**We started going up, inside the Arch. I'd never been in an elevator that went in a curve, and my stomach wasn't too happy about it.**

**"No parents?" the fat lady asked us.**

"Was she really fat?" Hermes asked.

"Yep!"

**She had beady eyes; pointy, coffee-stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much, she looked like a blue-jean blimp.**

**"They're below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."**

**"Oh, the poor darlings."**

**The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, Sonny. Behave." The dog had beady eyes like its owner, intelligent and vicious.**

**I said, "Sonny. Is that his name?"**

**"No," the lady told me.**

"Sonny? Fat lady? Does this all sound… familiar?" Athena asked.

"Okay just because it's a fat lady, you automatically assume we know her! How rude." Hera responded, while Athena 'mentally' face palmed.

**She smiled, as if that cleared everything up.**

**At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other. The view was okay, but if there's anything I like less than a confined space, it's a confined space six hundred feet in the air. I was ready to go pretty quick.**

"I'm surprised he had enough guts to go up high into my domain" Zeus commented.

**Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would've made the windows bigger, and designed a see-through floor.**

"Good idea!" Athena mentioned. While Thalia looked like she was going to be sick.

**She probably could've stayed up there for hours, but luckily for me the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.**

**I steered Grover and Annabeth toward the exit, loaded them into the elevator, and I was about to get in myself when I realized there were already two other tourists inside. No room for me.**

**The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."**

**"We'll get out," Annabeth said. "We'll wait with you."**

**But that was going to mess everybody up and take even more time, so I said, "Naw, it's okay. I'll see you guys at the bottom."**

"I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."

**Grover and Annabeth both looked nervous, but they let the elevator door slide shut. Their car disappeared down the ramp.**

**Now the only people left on the observation deck were me, a little boy with his parents, the park ranger, and the fat lady with her Chihuahua.**

**I smiled uneasily at the fat lady. She smiled back, her forked tongue flickering between her teeth.**

Nico gasped, realizing who Echidna was, and started to get really nervous.

"How could you send Echidna!" Poseidon growled.

"I can send whatever I want!" Zeus yelled.

"Brothers! Just continue reading!" Hades interrupted.

**Wait a minute.**

**Forked tongue?**

**Before I could decide if I'd really seen that, her Chihuahua jumped down and started yapping at me.**

**"Now, now, Sonny," the lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."**

**"Doggie!" said the little boy. "Look, a doggie!"**

**His parents pulled him back.**

"Oh, poor kid." Hera called.

**The Chihuahua bared his teeth at me, foam dripping from his black lips.**

**"Well, son," the fat lady sighed. "If you insist."**

**Ice started forming in my stomach. "Urn, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?"**

**"Chimera,dear," the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It's an easy mistake to make."**

"A Chimera too?" Poseidon squealed and bit his lip.

**She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green. When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were side ways slits, like a reptile's.**

**The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Doberman, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.**

**The little boy screamed. His parents pulled him back toward the exit, straight into the park ranger, who stood, paralyzed, gaping at the monster.**

**The Chimera was now so tall it's back rubbed against the roof. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate-sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA—RABID, FIRE-BREATHING, POISONOUS—IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS—EXT. 954.**

Everyone burst out laughing despite the situation.

"I like the dog tag, wish I could have one too!" Hermes called out between fits of laughter.

"Yeah, Hermes the dog needs one." Apollo added, while Hermes tried to pout but failed because he was still laughing.

**I realized I hadn't even uncapped my sword. My hands were numb. I was ten feet away from the Chimera's bloody maw, and I knew that as soon as I moved, the creature would lunge.**

**The snake lady made a hissing noise that might've been laughter. "Be honored, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"**

**I stared at her. All I could think to say was: "Isn't that a kind of anteater?"**

Nico mentally face palmed.

"I don't think you would like to say that…" Demeter said.

"Too late!" Percy cheerily replied.

**She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"**

Everyone could hear Poseidon's hard and unsteady breathing.

"Chill dad!" Percy tried to calm Poseidon down. And put his arms around Nico, who was shaking.

**The Chimera charged, its lion teeth gnashing. I managed to leap aside and dodge the bite.**

**I ended up next to the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming now, trying to pry open the emergency exit doors.**

**I couldn't let them get hurt. I uncapped my sword, ran to the other side of the deck, and yelled, "Hey, Chihuahua!" The Chimera turned faster than I would've thought possible.**

**Before I could swing my sword, it opened its mouth, emitting a stench like the world's largest barbecue pit, and shot a column of flame straight at me.**

"Crap crap crap" Poseidon managed to croak out.

"Dad, I'm still here. Do you see me burnt to a crisp or in some dog's tummy?" Percy said.

"Okay well… Calm down!"

Poseidon shook his head. "Can't" he wheezed out.

**I dove through the explosion. The carpet burst into flames; the heat was so intense, it nearly seared off my eye brows.**

**Where I had been standing a moment before was a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, with melted metal steaming around the edges.**

**Great, I thought. We just blow torched a national monument.**

"Oh don't be so pessimistic. At least Annabeth can build another one!" Hermes joked.

"True" Percy and Annabeth said at the same time.

**Riptide was now a shining bronze blade in my hands, and as the Chimera turned, I slashed at its neck.**

"Umm… Did you not see the big fat collar?" Athena groaned.

**That was my fatal mistake. The blade sparked harmlessly off the dog collar. I tried to regain my balance, but I was so worried about defending myself against the fiery lion's mouth, I completely forgot about the serpent tail until it whipped around and sank its fangs into my calf.**

"Ahh crap, that will hurt." Apollo mentioned, while Poseidon and Nico flinched.

"Good to know, captain obvious." Annabeth stated.

**My whole leg was on fire. I tried to jab Riptide into the Chimera's mouth, but the serpent tail wrapped around my ankles and pulled me off balance, and my blade flew out of my hand, spinning out of the hole in the Arch and down toward the Mississippi River.**

**I managed to get to my feet, but I knew I had lost.**

**I was weaponless. I could feel deadly poison racing up to my chest. I remembered Chiron saying that Anaklusmos would always return to me, but there was no pen in my pocket.**

**Maybe it had fallen too far away. Maybe it only returned when it was in pen form. I didn't know, and I wasn't going to live long enough to figure it out.**

"…"

"BROTHER!" Poseidon roared loudly.

Zeus shrugged. "I didn't know!"

**I backed into the hole in the wall. The Chimera advanced, growling, smoke curling from its lips. The snake lady, Echidna, cackled. "They don't make heroes like they used to, eh, son?"**

**The monster growled. It seemed in no hurry to finish me off now that I was beaten.**

**I glanced at the park ranger and the family. The little boy was hiding behind his father's legs. I had to protect these people. I couldn't just ... die.**

"Aww… How brave and noble!" Aphrodite yelled, making everyone else snicker and Percy blush.

**I tried to think, but my whole body was on fire. My head felt dizzy. I had no sword. I was facing a massive, fire-breathing monster and its mother. And I was scared.**

**There was no place else to go, so I stepped to the edge of the hole. Far, far below, the river glittered.**

**If I died, would the monsters go away? Would they leave the humans alone?**

**"If you are the son of Poseidon," Echidna hissed, "you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline."**

"It won't hurt you. Jump…" Poseidon mumbled.

**Yeah, right, I thought. I'd read somewhere that jumping into water from a couple of stories up was like jumping onto solid asphalt. From here, I'd splatter on impact.**

**The Chimera's mouth glowed red, heating up for an other blast.**

**"You have no faith," Echidna told me. "You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart."**

Artemis scowled. "We are not faithless!"

"At least not some of us." Demeter added.

**She was right: I was dying. I could feel my breath slowing down. Nobody could save me, not even the gods.**

**I backed up and looked down at the water. I remembered the warm glow of my father's smile when I was a baby. He must have seen me. He must have visited me when I was in my cradle.**

"I did…" Poseidon whispered softly.

**I remembered the swirling green trident that had appeared above my head the night of capture the flag, when Poseidon had claimed me as his son.**

**But this wasn't the sea. This was the Mississippi, dead center of the USA. There was no Sea god here.**

**"Die, faithless one," Echidna rasped, and the Chimera sent a column of flame toward my face.**

**"Father, help me," I prayed.**

**I turned and jumped. My clothes on fire, poison coursing through my veins, I plummeted toward the river.**

No one spoke for a few moments, than finally Dionysus broke the silence.

"It's done, who wants to read next?"

"I will." Zeus said, taking the book from Dionysus.

"Wait! Can't we continue in the morning? I'm tired." Percy whined, while Connor and Travis agreed.

"Okay, goodnight peeps!" Dionysus walked out the room, everyone looking at him in shock.

"That did not sound good on an old man." Percy finally spoke, causing people to laugh.

"Well, goodnight peeps!" Percy copied, winked, than headed to the guest room.

"I guess that was better." Annabeth added, as everyone got up to go.


	16. Chapter 14

Before the gods left, Athena said. "Remember to be in the Throne Room at 8:00.

Then everyone left the throne room and went to their own rooms. Annabeth and Thalia shared a room, so did Travis and Connor, Chris and Clarisse, Silena and Beckendorf, Nico and Percy. Only Katie and Grover had their own rooms.

Morning came by quickly, and Connor and Travis woke up pretty late, but Nico, Percy and Thalia were still asleep. In the kitchen, all the Olympians and Annabeth were up and bored.

"The derivative of any given prime number is greater than the sum of the latter dividend. So therefore…" Annabeth was telling the Olympians.

"Hey, anyone wants to play some pranks?" interrupted Connor and Travis.

At the sound of pranks, the some of the Olympians grinned while some rolled their eyes.

"Finally, we can stop learning about math!" Apollo exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Annabeth and Athena glared intently at Apollo.

"We could play a prank on the 'savior of Olympus'!" Hermes exclaimed.

For the next half hour, they planned everything out.

**Travis PoV**

It was time! When we arrived at the guest room, we woke up Nico and Thalia. They were really slow and mumbling about crazy families the whole time. Harsh, right? Anyways, everyone crowded into the room and Apollo began recording everything on his AAC (Awesome Apollo Camera).

I took out a bullhorn, put the sound all the way to max and spoke into it.

"PERCY! GOOD MORNING!" I exclaimed loudly into the bullhorn.

He jumped out of bed, but got hit by the cream pie that Nico was holding, and fell onto the floor face first.

"OH MY GODS…? Percy screamed his head off.

As he began to sit up, he got whipped with a cake which Thalia expertly threw. Don't ask me where she got it.

"What the Hades happened?" Percy demanded, confused.

"Nothing…" Connor smirked.

"Why does everyone use my name as a swear word!" Hades crossed his arms.

Suddenly, it looked like a light bulb went off in his head or something, because he got really angry and jumped on me and Connor at the same time.

"I should have known a child of Hermes would do this!" Percy slapped us senseless.

"It was him!" We both said at the same time, pointing to each other.

Meanwhile, everyone in the background was on the floor laughing crazily. Percy shook himself off like a dog, but it didn't help much.

"Watch out for some revenge!" Percy threatened but half smiled in the process. He tried to lick his face like a cat, than went into the bathroom.

"AND CUT!" Apollo laughed, putting down his Apollo Camera. "GOOD WORK EVERYONE!"

"We're not making a movie Apollo." Annabeth snickered.

"Not yet! But that would be an epic movie!" Apollo replied.

Third PoV

"Hey Thalia, you look cute today!" Apollo exclaimed to Thalia, who just stood there stunned.

"I'm a hunter." Thalia stated bluntly.

"Yeah and you looked awesome!" Apollo winked back.

"APOLLO!" Artemis came stomping over than slapped Apollo in the face. "You can't just start flirting with my hunters!"

Apollo pouted, while Artemis' face looked like an angry strawberry.

"Sheesh, sis, can't you let me have any fun?" Apollo made a puppy face.

"Just stay away from my hunters." Artemis rolled her eyes, slapped Apollo one more time, than walked away.

Apollo put his hand to his cheek than grinned. "Harsh, isn't she?"

Thalia just bit her lip and walked away.

"Ladies these days…" Apollo chuckled to himself.

"Well, if Apollo is done flirting with girls, let's start reading." Percy said, coming out of the bathroom.

"And if you're done getting cake off your face, we can start." Apollo snickered, making Percy scowl.

"By the way, the cake and pie you smashed into my face should've been blue!"

"Yeah okay sorry!" Thalia rolled her eyes.

**"I Become a Know Fugitive,"**Zeus began reading.

"Cool!" Hermes high fived his kids.

"Not cool at all!" Poseidon said, while Nico bit his lip.

**I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, etcetera.**

"Well, you aren't supposed to laugh in the face of death!" Hades huffed, outraged.

**The truth? My only thought was: Aaaagggghhhhh!**

"Wow, typical seaweed brain, eh?" Nico laughed.

"Yep, that's me!" Percy said proudly.

**The river raced toward me at the speed of a truck. Wind ripped the breath from my lungs. Steeples and skyscrapers and bridges tumbled in and out of my vision.**

**And then: Flaaa-boooom!**

**A whiteout of bubbles. I sank through the murk, sure that I was about to end up embedded in a hundred feet of mud and lost forever.**

"I wish, but sadly you will survive." Athena interrupted.

**But my impact with the water hadn't hurt.**

"Wow… That is so amazing. Not." Ares said.

**I was falling slowly now, bubbles trickling up through my fingers. I settled on the river bottom soundlessly. A catfish the size of my stepfather**

"Holy poodles, that is a huge and fat catfish!" Hermes exclaimed.

**lurched away into the gloom. Clouds of silt and disgusting garbage—beer bottles, old shoes, plastic bags—swirled up all around me.**

"That is so disgusting!" Aphrodite gagged.

"Stupid mortals… Can't even learn to take care of their planet." Demeter agreed.

**At that point, I realized a few things: first, I had not been flattened into a pancake. I had not been barbecued. I couldn't even feel the Chimera poison boiling in my veins anymore. I was alive, which was good.**

"VERY GOOD!" Poseidon smiled.

**Second realization: I wasn't wet. I mean, I could feel the coolness of the water. I could see where the fire on my clothes had been quenched. But when I touched my own shirt, it felt perfectly dry.**

"Yup!" Poseidon went up and high fived a stunned Percy.

**I looked at the garbage floating by and snatched an old cigarette lighter.**

**I flicked the lighter. It sparked. A tiny flame appeared, right there at the bottom of the Mississippi.**

**No way, I thought.**

"I got to admit, that is kind of cool." Nico grinned.

**I grabbed a soggy hamburger wrapper out of the current and immediately the paper turned dry.**

**I lit it with no problem. As soon as I let it go, the flames sputtered out. The wrapper turned back into a slimy rag. Weird.**

**But the strangest thought occurred to me only last: I was breathing. I was underwater, and I was breathing normally.**

"Wouldn't you notice that first?" Thalia wondered.

Percy chuckled. "Nah."

**I stood up, thigh-deep in mud. My legs felt shaky. My hands trembled. I should've been dead. The fact that I wasn't seemed like ... well, a miracle. I imagined a woman's voice, a voice that sounded a bit like my mother: Percy, what do you say?**

**"Um ... thanks." Underwater, I sounded like I did on recordings, like a much older kid. "Thank you ... Father."**

"Your welcome." Poseidon said.

**No response. Just the dark drift of garbage downriver, the enormous catfish gliding by, the flash of sunset on the water's surface far above, turning everything the color of butterscotch.**

**Why had Poseidon saved me?**

"Because he's your dad." Thalia rolled her eyes playfully.

"And because you're my favorite son!" Poseidon chimed in, making Percy blush hard.

**The more I thought about it, the more ashamed I felt. So I'd gotten lucky a few times before. Against a thing like the Chimera, I had never stood a chance.**

"Yes, you never stood a chance…" Zeus snorted, causing Poseidon, Nico and Percy to glare at him.

**Those poor people in the Arch were probably toast. I couldn't protect them. I was no hero. Maybe I should just stay down here with the catfish, join the bottom feeders.**

"As much as I would like that, you can't. Everyone is depending on you." Athena sighed.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Percy asked.

"Coming from Athena, yes." Poseidon chuckled.

**Fump-fump-fump. A riverboat's paddlewheel churned above me, swirling the silt around.**

**There, not five feet in front of me, was my sword, its gleaming bronze hilt sticking up in the mud.**

**I heard that woman's voice again: Percy, take the sword. Your father believes in you.**

"Yeah, I believe in you!" Poseidon cheered.

**This time, I knew the voice wasn't in my head. I wasn't imagining it. Her words seemed to come from everywhere, rippling through the water like dolphin sonar.**

**"Where are you?" I called aloud.**

**Then, through the gloom, I saw her—a woman the color of the water, a ghost in the current, floating just above the sword. She had long billowing hair, and her eyes, barely visible, were green like mine.**

**A lump formed in my throat. I said, "Mom?"**

"That's so sad." Aphrodite sniffed.

**No, child, only a messenger, though your mother's fate is not as hopeless as you believe. Go to the beach in Santa Monica.**

**"What?"**

**It is your father's will. Before you descend into the Underworld, you must go to Santa Monica. Please, Percy, I cannot stay long. The river here is too foul for my presence.**

**"Someone should clean the river. I would, but my oh so little brother here won't let me." Poseidon glared.**

"Stop calling me little! I saved your butt from the wrath of Father's stomach! You should be grateful to me." Zeus crossed his arms stubbornly. Poseidon just shook his head. How Annoying…

**"But ..." I was sure this woman was my mother, or a vision of her, anyway. "Who—how did you—"**

**There was so much I wanted to ask, the words jammed up in my throat.**

**I cannot stay, brave one,the woman said. She reached out, and I felt the current brush my face like a caress.**

**You must go to Santa Monica! And, Percy, do not trust the gifts...**

"Gifts?" Athena scrunched up her face in concentration.

**Her voice faded.**

**"Gifts?" I asked. "What gifts? Wait!"**

**She made one more attempt to speak, but the sound was gone. Her image melted away. If it was my mother, I had lost her again.**

**I felt like drowning myself. The only problem: I was immune to drowning.**

"Aww… Poor Percy!" Ares mocked. "Can't drown himself."

**Your father believes in you,she had said.**

**She'd also called me brave ... unless she was talking to the catfish.**

"I don't think she was talking to the fat catfish." Athena said, amused, while everyone laughed.

**I waded toward Riptide and grabbed it by the hilt. The Chimera might still be up there with its snaky, fat mother, waiting to finish me off. At the very least, the mortal police would be arriving, trying to figure out who had blown a hole in the Arch. If they found me, they'd have some questions.**

**I capped my sword, stuck the ballpoint pen in my pocket. "Thank you, Father," I said again to the dark water.**

**Then I kicked up through the muck and swam for the surface.**

**I came ashore next to a floating McDonald's.**

"Ewww! That is just revolting!" Demeter and Aphrodite scowled.

**A block away, every emergency vehicle in St. Louis was surrounding the Arch. Police helicopters circled overhead. The crowd of onlookers reminded me of Times Square on New Year's Eve.**

**A little girl said, "Mama! That boy walked out of the river."**

**"That's nice, dear," her mother said, craning her neck to watch the ambulances.**

**"But he's dry!"**

**"That's nice, dear."**

"Ahh, Mortals and their ignorance." Hermes laughed.

**A news lady was talking for the camera: "Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch."**

**Survivors. I felt a surge of relief. Maybe the park ranger and that family made it out safely. I hoped Annabeth and Grover were okay.**

"She better not be injured or someone's going to get it." Athena glared at Percy, who slouched lower, while in Nico's lap.

**I tried to push through the crowd to see what was going on inside the police line.**

**"... an adolescent boy," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities …"**

**I backed away, trying to keep my head down. I had to go a long way around the police perimeter. Uniformed officers and news reporters were everywhere.**

**I'd almost lost hope of ever finding Annabeth and Grover when a familiar voice bleated, "Perrr-cy!"**

"Grover time!" Thalia smiled.

**I turned and got tackled by Grover's bear hug—or goat hug. He said, "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"**

"Don't you mean the easy way?" Hades asked.

**"Well I think it's easier because we can to the underworld alive, rather than dead." Percy stated.**

"Yeah, I don't think you'll be coming out of the underworld alive though." Hades mysteriously added.

Poseidon and Nico growled and glared at Hades.

**Annabeth stood behind him, trying to look angry, but even she seemed relieved to see me.**

**"We can't leave you alone for five minutes! What happened?"**

**"I sort of fell."**

"Sort of fell?" Annabeth turned to Percy. "That was six hundred and thirty feet!"

**"Percy! Six hundred and thirty feet?"**

"I see Annabeth doesn't change much, does she." Hephaestus noted.

**Behind us, a cop shouted, "Gangway!" The crowd parted, and a couple of paramedics hustled out, rolling a woman on a stretcher. I recognized her immediately as the mother of the little boy who'd been on the observation deck. She was saying, "And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua—"**

**"Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."**

**"I'm not crazy! This boy jumped out of the hole and the monster disappeared." Then she saw me. "There he is! That's the boy!"**

**I turned quickly and pulled Annabeth and Grover after me. We disappeared into the crowd.**

**"What's going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"**

**I told them the whole story of the Chimera, Echidna, my high-dive act, and the underwater lady's message.**

**"Whoa," said Grover. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad."**

"Well, you can. It just wouldn't be wise." Athena corrected.

**Before Annabeth could respond, we passed another reporter doing a news break, and I almost froze in my tracks when he said, "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. Andthe boy is believed to be traveling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson."**

"Wow, you sure do have rotten luck…" Connor and Travis said at once.

Everyone looked at Connor and Travis hopelessly. "You just realized?"

"Yep!"

**We ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.**

**"First things first," I told Grover. "We've got to get out of town!"**

"Duh!" Artemis said.

**Somehow, we made it back to the Amtrak station with out getting spotted. We got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. The train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St. Louis skyline behind us.**

"Done." Zeus said.


	17. Chapter 15

"Who wants to read now" Zeus asks

"I will" Percy said.

"A dog busy… su serbsecheeugr…?" Percy tried to read. "I don't think that makes sense."

"Obviously." Hera rolled her eyes, grabbing the book. "It says 'A god buys us cheeseburgers'."

"Dyslexia." Percy sheepishly said.

Athena took the book, and muttered an incantation. "There, now you can read it."

"What'd you do to it?" Percy warily replied.

"The book is now in Ancient Greek. What'd you think I did with it, make it kill you?"

"Yes." The room chorused.

"Is that Athena trying to make a joke?" Hermes exclaimed, wide eyed.

"Just read!" Athena grumbled.

**"A God Buys us Cheeseburgers,"Percy read.**

"Whichever god would waste their precious time buying cheeseburgers for you is pretty stupid." Ares interrupted.

This made Annabeth, Grover and Percy laugh uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Connor asked.

"You'll see later on." Percy chuckled.

**The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. We hadn't taken a shower since Half-Blood Hill,**

"That is pretty gross…" Thalia scowled.

**and I was sure that was obvious.**

**"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."**

"We can't use phones, right?"

"Oh my gods" Thalia moaned.

"Give me a break, will ya!" Percy whined. Nico teased Percy, by saying "Don't worry Perce, you'll eventually get smarter."

Thalia grinned. "No, it's okay."

**"I'm not talking about phones."**

**We wandered through downtown for about half an hour, though I wasn't sure what Annabeth was looking for. The air was dry and hot, which felt weird after the humidity of St. Louis. Everywhere we turned, the Rocky Mountains seemed to be staring at me, like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.**

**Finally we found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. We veered toward the stall farthest from the street, keeping our eyes open for patrol cars. We were three adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good.**

"Doughnuts!" Nico blurted out. Everyone looked at him funny.

"Sorry, blame the ADHD." He said sheepishly. And slouched in his chair.

**"What exactly are we doing?" I asked, as Grover took out the spray gun.**

**"It's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"**

**"Don't look at me," she said. "The dining car wiped me out."**

**I fished out my last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter, which left me two nickels and one drachma from Medusa's place.**

**"Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."**

**"What are you talking about?"**

**He fed in the quarters and set the knob to FINE MIST. "I-M'ing."**

**"Instant messaging?"**

**"Iris-messaging," Annabeth corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."**

**"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"**

"Oh my gods…" Thalia slapped her head lightly.

**Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."**

**Sure enough, late afternoon light filtered through the vapor and broke into colors.**

**Annabeth held her palm out to me. "Drachma, please."**

**I handed it over.**

**She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."**

**She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer.**

**"Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.**

**For a moment, nothing happened.**

**Then I was looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.**

**"Luke!" I called.**

Hermes lit up like a candle at the mention of his child.

**He turned, eyes wide. I could swear he was standing three feet in front of me through a screen of mist, except I could only see the part of him that appeared in the rainbow.**

**"Percy!" His scarred face broke into a grin. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"**

**"We're ... uh ... fine," Annabeth stammered. She was madly straightening her dirty T-shirt, trying to comb the loose hair out of her face.**

Annabeth bit her lip.

**"We thought—Chiron—I mean—"**

**"He's down at the cabins." Luke's smile faded. "We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"**

**"I'm right here," Grover called. He held the nozzle out to one side and stepped into Luke's line of vision. "What kind of issues?"**

**Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum hip-hop. As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.**

**"Chiron had to—what's that noise?" Luke yelled.**

"Mortals these days…" Hermes mumbled.

**"I'll take care of it.'" Annabeth yelled back, looking very relieved to have an excuse to get out of sight.**

**"Grover, come on!"**

**"What?" Grover said. "But—"**

**"Give Percy the nozzle and come on!" she ordered.**

**Grover muttered something about girls being harder to understand than the Oracle at Delphi,**

All the girls in the room glared at the book.

"It's true." Connor, and Travis agreed together.

"Maybe it's because boys are dimwitted." Annabeth shot back.

"It's true." Percy agreed again.

"PERCY! YOU TRAITOR!" Connor and Travis whined.

Percy put his hands up in surrender. "You do not want to make Annabeth Chase angry." He said while leaning on Nico.

"Whipped." Thalia murmured.

**then he handed me the spray gun and followed Annabeth.**

**I readjusted the hose so I could keep the rainbow going and still see Luke.**

**"Chiron had to break up a fight," Luke shouted to me over the music. "Things are pretty tense here, Percy. Word leaked out about the Zeus—Poseidon standoff. We're still not sure how—probably the same scumbag who summoned the hellhound. Now the campers are starting to take sides. It's shaping up like the Trojan War all over again. Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo are backing Poseidon, more or less. Athena is backing Zeus."**

Zeus glared at Ares, Aphrodite and Apollo. "Treason!" he yelled.

"Not true! Treason would be siding with the titans in a battle!" Apollo retorted.

"And that would never happen. They will never succeed, because we will never let them." Zeus scoffed.

"Ironic, eh?" Thalia spoke up.

"Yup!" Nico replied.

"Still believe no one can over take you, eh Zeus?" Percy added ominously.

"What does that mean, half-blood!" Zeus growled.

"Nothing. Keep reading."

**I shuddered to think that Clarisse's cabin would ever be on my dad's side for anything.**

**In the next stall, I heard Annabeth and some guy arguing with each other, then the music's volume decreased drastically.**

**"So what's your status?" Luke asked me. "Chiron will be sorry he missed you."**

**I told him pretty much everything, including my dreams.**

**It felt so good to see him, to feel like I was back at camp even for a few minutes, that I didn't realize how long I had talked until the beeper went off on the spray machine, and I realized I only had one more minute before the water shut off.**

**"I wish I could be there," Luke told me. "We can't help much from here, I'm afraid, but listen ... it had to be Hades who took the master bolt. He was there at Olympus at the winter solstice. I was chaperoning a field trip and we saw him."**

"THAT LITTLE BRAT!" Hades growled fiercely.

**"But Chiron said the gods can't take each other's magic items directly."**

**"That's true," Luke said, looking troubled. "Still ... Hades has the helm of darkness. How could anybody else sneak into the throne room and steal the master bolt?**

"Just because I'm really nice, I won't go off and blast him dead right now." Hades mumbled.

"OH MY GODS HADES SHOULD BE THE GOD OF NICENESS!" Connor dramatically yelled.

"YOU ARE SO KIND LORD HADES!" Travis added, waving his hands in the air, causing everyone to laugh.

"You know what, when you brats die, I won't send you to Elysium right away. No, instead I'll have a little fun." Hades smiled evilly, with a little mischievous glint in his eye.

Connor and Travis visibly gulped.

**You'd have to be invisible."**

**We were both silent, until Luke seemed to realize what he'd said.**

**"Oh, hey," he protested. "I didn't mean Annabeth. She and I have known each other forever. She would never ... I mean, she's like a little sister to me."**

**I wondered if Annabeth would like that description.**

**In the stall next to us, the music stopped completely. A man screamed in terror, car doors slammed, and the Lincoln peeled out of the car wash.**

"What'd you do to the poor man, Annie?" Connor asked in awe.

"Don't call me Annie" Annabeth grumbled. "Let's just say, the man won't be blasting his music ever again!"

**"You'd better go see what that was," Luke said. "Listen, are you wearing the flying shoes? I'll feel better if I know they've done you some good."**

**"Oh ... uh, yeah!" I tried not to sound like a guilty liar. "Yeah, they've come in handy."**

**"Really?" He grinned. "They fit and everything?"**

"Your son is so cute and kind, Hermes!" Aphrodite smiled brightly, not noticing the sad faces on the demigods.

"He was awesome." Percy chimed in, smiling sadly.

**The water shut off. The mist started to evaporate.**

**"Well, take care of yourself out there in Denver," Luke called, his voice getting fainter. "And tell Grover it'll be better this time! Nobody will get turned into a pine tree if he just—"**

**But the mist was gone, and Luke's image faded to nothing. I was alone in a wet, empty car wash stall.**

"Are you like a depressed, emo kid, Percy?" Connor asked.

"No way! I'm not like Nico!" Percy huffed.

"HEY!" Nico frowned. "I am not emo! I just like the color black."

"I'm only teasing."

**Annabeth and Grover came around the corner, laughing, but stopped when they saw my face. Annabeth's smile faded. "What happened, Percy? What did Luke say?"**

**"Not much," I lied, my stomach feeling as empty as a Big Three cabin.**

"That is empty!" Travis whistled.

**"Come on, let's find some dinner."**

Connor licked his lips in anticipation.

**A few minutes later, we were sitting at a booth in a gleaming chrome diner.**

**All around us, families were eating burgers and drinking malts and sodas.**

**Finally the waitress came over. She raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Well?"**

**I said, "We, um, want to order dinner."**

**"You kids have money to pay for it?"**

**Grover's lower lip quivered. I was afraid he would start bleating, or worse, start eating the linoleum.**

**Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger.**

**I was trying to think up a sob story for the waitress when a rumble shook the whole building; a motorcycle the size of a baby elephant had pulled up to the curb.**

**All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns. The seat was leather—but leather that looked like ... well, Caucasian human skin.**

"Ares?" a bewildered Artemis asked.

Suddenly, Athena whispered to Demeter, who whispered to Apollo, who fell off his throne and began laughing. Percy, Grover and Annabeth started laughing too, remembering what Ares said at the beginning of the chapter.

"Why is everyone laughing?" Ares growled.

"Okay remember at the beginning of the chapter you said 'Whichever god would waste their precious time buying cheeseburgers for you is pretty stupid.'" Annabeth explained, causing everyone to laugh.

"Shut up!" Ares roared, glaring at everyone.

"Oh, sorry Lord Ares, you are totally awesome." Percy stated.

Ares didn't seem to realize that Percy was mocking him. "Yeah, that's right!"

**The guy on the bike would've made pro wrestlers run for Mama. He was dressed in a red muscle shirt and black jeans and a black leather duster, with a hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He wore red wraparound shades, and he had the cruelest, most brutal face I'd ever seen— handsome, I guess, but wicked—with an oily black crew cut and cheeks that were scarred from many, many fights.**

"Oh yeah, I'm so awesome and badass!" Ares yelled.

**The weird thing was, I felt like I'd seen his face somewhere before.**

**As he walked into the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through the place. All the people rose, as if they were hypnotized, but the biker waved his hand dismissively and they all sat down again. Everybody went back to their conversations. The waitress blinked, as if somebody had just pressed the rewind button on her brain. She asked us again, "You kids have money to pay for it?"**

**The biker said, "It's on me." He slid into our booth, which was way too small for him, and crowded Annabeth against the window.**

**He looked up at the waitress, who was gaping at him, and said, "Are you still here?"**

**He pointed at her, and she stiffened. She turned as if she'd been spun around, then marched back toward the kitchen.**

**The biker looked at me. I couldn't see his eyes behind the red shades, but bad feelings started boiling in my stomach. Anger, resentment, bitterness. I wanted to hit a wall. I wanted to pick a fight with somebody. Who did this guy think he was?**

"Ares and his power to make people mad…" Hera shook his head.

**He gave me a wicked grin. "So you're old Seaweed's kid, huh?"**

"Really?" Poseidon growled at Ares, who shrugged.

**I should've been surprised, or scared, but instead I felt like I was looking at my stepdad, Gabe.**

"HEY!" Ares glared.

**I wanted to rip this guy's head off. "What's it to you?"**

**Annabeth's eyes flashed me a warning. "Percy, this is—"**

**The biker raised his hand.**

**"S'okay," he said. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"**

**Then it struck me why this guy looked familiar. He had the same vicious sneer as some of the kids at Camp Half-Blood, the ones from cabin five.**

**"You're Clarisse's dad," I said. "Ares, god of War."**

**Ares grinned and took off his shades. Where his eyes should've been, there was only fire, empty sockets glowing with miniature nuclear explosions. "That's right, punk. I heard you broke Clarisse's spear."**

**"She was asking for it."**

**"Probably. That's cool. I don't fight my kids' fights, you know? What I'm here for—I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."**

**The waitress came back with heaping trays of food—cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, and chocolate shakes.**

**Ares handed her a few gold drachmas.**

**She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these aren't..."**

"Shouldn't she be grateful? I mean those coins are gold!" Dionysus said.

**Ares pulled out his huge knife and started cleaning his fingernails. "Problem, sweetheart?"**

**The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.**

**"You can't do that," I told Ares. "You can't just threaten people with a knife."**

**Ares laughed. "Are you kidding? I love this country. Best place since Sparta. Don't you carry a weapon, punk? You should. Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favor."**

**"What favor could I do for a god?"**

**"Something a god doesn't have time to do himself. It's nothing much. I left my shield at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little ... date with my girlfriend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me."**

**"Why don't you go back and get it yourself?"**

**The fire in his eye sockets glowed a little hotter.**

**"Why don't I turn you into a prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I don't feel like it.**

"Don't feel like it, or scared to do it?" Hephaestus asked.

**A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."**

**I wanted to punch this guy, but somehow, I knew he was waiting for that. Ares's power was causing my anger. He'd love it if I attacked. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.**

**"We're not interested," I said. "We've already got a quest."**

**Ares's fiery eyes made me see things I didn't want to see—blood and smoke and corpses on the battlefield. "I know all about your quest, punk. When that itemwas first stolen, Zeus sent his best out looking for it: Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and me, naturally. If I couldn't sniff out a weapon that powerful ..." He licked his lips, as if the very thought of the master bolt made him hungry.**

Everyone stared at Ares.

**"Well ... if I couldn't find it, you got no hope. Nevertheless, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your dad and I go way back. After all, I'm the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath."**

"ARES!" Hades scowled, and glared at Ares, making him whimper a bit. "You piece of–"

"Language!" Hera warned.

Hades sighed. "You piece of dirty, fat bacon!"

**"You told him Hades stole the bolt?"**

**"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately.**

"Here let me help you." Poseidon smiled. He sprayed Ares with a ton of water and he got blasted across the room, soaking wet.

**In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."**

**"Thanks," I grumbled.**

**"Hey, I'm a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I'll help you on your way. I'll arrange a ride west for you and your friends."**

**"We're doing fine on our own."**

**"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you're up against. Help me out, and maybe I'll tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom."**

**"My mom?"**

**He grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."**

**"What interrupted your date?" I asked. "Something scare you off?"**

**Ares bared his teeth, but I'd seen his threatening look before on Clarisse. There was something false about it, almost like he was nervous.**

"Can't believe you just had the guts to say that Ares is fake." Thalia whispered.

Percy shrugged than grinned. "Like he would be smart enough to figure that out."

**"You're lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They're not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I'll meet you back here when you're done. Don't disappoint me."**

**After that I must have fainted, or fallen into a trance, because when I opened my eyes again, Ares was gone. I might've thought the conversation had been a dream, but Annabeth and Grover's expressions told me otherwise.**

**"Not good," Grover said. "Ares sought you out, Percy. This is not good."**

**I stared out the window. The motorcycle had disappeared.**

**Did Ares really know something about my mom, or was he just playing with me? Now that he was gone, all the anger had drained out of me. I realized Ares must love to mess with people's emotions. That was his power—cranking up the passions so badly, they clouded your ability to think.**

**"It's probably some kind of trick," I said. "Forget Ares. Let's just go."**

"Bad idea." Athena stated.

**"We can't," Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Ares as much as anybody, but you don't ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune. He wasn't kidding about turning you into a rodent."**

**I looked down at my cheeseburger, which suddenly didn't seem so appetizing. "Why does he need us?"**

**"Maybe it's a problem that requires brains,"**

This statement caused everyone to laugh.

**Annabeth said. "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."**

**"But this water park ... he acted almost scared. What would make a war god run away like that?"**

**Annabeth and Grover glanced nervously at each other.**

**Annabeth said, "I'm afraid we'll have to find out."**

**The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.**

**The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy.**

**"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," I said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."**

"Aphrodite glared at Percy with fire gleaming in her eyes.

"Read on!" Percy whimpered. While moving Nico onto his lap, to hide from Aphrodite's glare.

**"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."**

**"Why? I thought you hated Ares."**

**"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental."**

**"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added.**

"Who is she? Echidna?"

"See, I didn't know!" Percy told Aphrodite.

**"No, Aphrodite," Grover said, a little dreamily. "Goddess of love."**

**"I thought she was married to somebody," I said. "Hephaestus."**

**"What's your point?" he asked.**

**"Oh." I suddenly felt the need to change the subject. "So how do we get in?"**

**"Maia!"**

**Grover's shoes sprouted wings.**

**He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"**

**Annabeth and I had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top.**

**The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the attractions. There was Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?**

"What weird ride names…" Apollo mused.

**No monsters came to get us. Nothing made the slightest noise.**

**We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of—**

**"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."**

**"Yeah," I said. "But you can't just—"**

**"Watch me."**

"Tsk tsk tsk…" Thalia mocked. "Shame on you!"

"Great job Annie!" Hermes cheered.

**She snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.**

"**What the heck." Grover shrugged. Soon, all three of us were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park.**

**We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love.**

Aphrodite smiled, waiting in anticipation.

**I got the feeling that the whole park was holding its breath. "So Ares and Aphrodite," I said, to keep my mind off the growing dark, "they have a thing going?"**

**"That's old gossip, Percy," Annabeth told me. "Three-thousand-year-old gossip."**

**"What about Aphrodite's husband?"**

**"Well, you know," she said. "Hephaestus. The black smith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus.**

"Why does everyone blame me!" Zeus interrupted. "Blame Hera for once!"

Hera glared at her husband.

**So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands, and all, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent, you know?"**

**"She likes bikers."**

"Whatever."

**"Hephaestus knows?"**

**"Oh sure," Annabeth said. "He caught them together once. I mean, literally caught them, in a golden net, and invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. Hephaestus is always trying to embarrass them. That's why they meet in out-of-the-way places, like ..."**

**She stopped, looking straight ahead. "Like that."**

**In front of us was an empty pool that would've been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty yards across and shaped like a bowl.**

**Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read, THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!**

**Grover crept toward the edge. "Guys, look."**

**Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink-and-white two-seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Ares's shield, a polished circle of bronze.**

**"This is too easy," I said. "So we just walk down there and get it?"**

"Do you honestly think it'll be that easy?" Demeter scoffed.

**Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue.**

**"There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder ..."**

"I have a feeling this won't end well…" Hermes chimed in.

**"Grover," I said, "you smell any monsters?"**

**He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."**

**"Nothing—like, in-the-Arch-and-you-didn't-smell-Echidna nothing, or really nothing?"**

**Grover looked hurt. "I told you, that was underground."**

**"Okay, I'm sorry." I took a deep breath. "I'm going down there."**

**"I'll go with you." Grover didn't sound too enthusiastic, but I got the feeling he was trying to make up for what had happened in St. Louis.**

**"No," I told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the Red Baron, a flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."**

**Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"**

**"I don't know. Just a feeling. Annabeth, come with me—"**

Nico gave him his best death glare, making Percy shudder. Who whispered to him, "I haven't met you yet, so stop with the glares"

"Fine"

**"Are you kidding?" She looked at me as if I'd just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red.**

**"What's the problem now?" I demanded.**

**"Me, go with you to the ... the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"**

**"Who's going to see you?" But my face was burning now, too. Leave it to a girl to make everything complicated.**

"We're only complicated because were better than boys!" Thalia muttered.

**"Fine," I told her. "I'll do it myself." But when I started down the side of the pool, she followed me, muttering about how boys always messed things up.**

**We reached the boat. The shield was propped on one seat, and next to it was a lady's silk scarf. I tried to imagine Ares and Aphrodite here, a couple of gods meeting in a junked-out amusement-park ride. Why? Then I noticed something I hadn't seen from up top: mirrors all the way around the rim of the pool, facing this spot. We could see ourselves no matter which direction we looked. That must be it. While Ares and Aphrodite were smooching with each other they could look at their favorite people: themselves.**

This made most of the Olympians laugh. And by most, it means everyone but Ares and Aphrodite.

"That is so true!" Aphrodite oddly agreed, while Ares lightly blushed and glared at Percy.

**I picked up the scarf. It shimmered pink, and the perfume was indescribable—rose, or mountain laurel. Something good. I smiled, a little dreamy, and was about to rub the scarf against my cheek when Annabeth ripped it out of my hand and stuffed it in her pocket. "Oh, no you don't. Stay away from that love magic."**

"She's smart…" Hermes sighed.

"Obviously! She's the daughter of Athena!" Percy face palmed.

"I was just saying. No need to get cranky…"

**"What?"**

**"Just get the shield, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here."**

**The moment I touched the shield, I knew we were in trouble. My hand broke through something that had been connecting it to the dashboard. A cobweb, I thought, but then I looked at a strand of it on my palm and saw it was some kind of metal filament, so fine it was almost invisible. A trip wire.**

"Oh this'll be good!" Ares grinned madly.

"I do make pretty good pranks, don't I?" Hephaestus chuckled.

**"Wait," Annabeth said.**

**"Too late."**

**"There's another Greek letter on the side of the boat, another Eta. This is a trap."**

**Noise erupted all around us, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine.**

"What's going on! What did you do, Hephaestus?" Poseidon rubbed his temples.

**Grover yelled, "Guys!"**

**Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. Before I could suggest taking cover, they shot, but not at us. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.**

**"We have to get out," I said.**

**"Duh!" Annabeth said.**

**I grabbed the shield and we ran, but going up the slope of the pool was not as easy as going down.**

**"Come on!" Grover shouted.**

**He was trying to hold open a section of the net for us, but wherever he touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around his hands.**

**The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute ... Fifty-nine seconds, fifty-eight ..."**

**"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed. "I'm so stupid.'**

"Oh no…" Poseidon groaned.

"Percy, you're going to give your father a headache. Not that I'm complaining." Zeus said.

Percy rubbed his neck guiltily. "Eh, it's not like I can help it."

**Eta is H.' He made this trap to catch his wife with Ares. Now we're going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"**

**We'd almost made it to the rim when the row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic ... things poured out.**

**Annabeth screamed.**

**It was an army of wind-up creepy-crawlies: bronze-gear bodies, spindly legs, little pincer mouths, all scuttling toward us in a wave of clacking, whirring metal.**

**"Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp—sp—aaaah!"**

Athena squeaked at the word spiders while Annabeth shivered, remembering the moment.

**I'd never seen her like this before. She fell backward in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before I pulled her up and dragged her back toward the boat.**

**The things were coming out from all around the rim now, millions of them, flooding toward the center of the pool, completely surrounding us.**

"No no no, eww…" Athena closed her eyes and took deep breathes, trying to calm herself.

**I told myself they probably weren't programmed to kill, just corral us and bite us and make us look stupid. Then again, this was a trap meant for gods. And we weren't gods.**

Poseidon looked like he was going to have a heart attack, so Percy went up and gave him an awkward hug.

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm right here. Flesh, bones and all!" Percy reassured his father.

"Awwww!" Everyone cooed.

Poseidon grabbed onto Percy tightly.

"HELP ME." Mouthed Percy to the Nico as he was held captive by his stressed, worried and protective father.

"No." Everyone else mouthed back laughing quietly, shaking their heads. Nico mouthed, "Sorry, I can't"

**Annabeth and I climbed into the boat.**

Finally, Poseidon let go of Percy, who was out of breath and went back to sit in Nico's lap. But Poseidon looked a lot more calmer.

**I started kicking away the spiders as they swarmed aboard. I yelled at Annabeth to help me, but she was too paralyzed to do much more than scream.**

**"Thirty, twenty-nine," called the loudspeaker.**

**The spiders started spitting out strands of metal thread, trying to tie us down. The strands were easy enough to break at first, but there were so many of them, and the spiders just kept coming. I kicked one away from Annabeth's leg and its pincers took a chunk out of my new surf shoe.**

**Grover hovered above the pool in his flying sneakers, trying to pull the net loose, but it wouldn't budge.**

**Think, I told myself. Think.**

"Don't think too hard, we don't need you to have a headache." Nico teased playfully.

**The Tunnel of Love entrance was under the net. We could use it as an exit, except that it was blocked by a million robot spiders.**

**"Fifteen, fourteen," the loudspeaker called.**

**Water, I thought. Where does the ride's water come from?**

**Then I saw them: huge water pipes behind the mirrors, where the spiders had come from. And up above the net, next to one of the Cupids, a glass-windowed booth that must be the controller's station.**

**"Grover!" I yelled. "Get into that booth! Find the 'on' switch!"**

**"But—"**

**"Do it!" It was a crazy hope, but it was our only chance. The spiders were all over the prow of the boat now. Annabeth was screaming her head off. I had to get us out of there.**

**Grover was in the controller's booth now, slamming away at the buttons.**

**"Five, four—"**

**Grover looked up at me hopelessly, raising his hands. He was letting me know that he'd pushed every button, but still nothing was happening.**

**I closed my eyes and thought about waves, rushing water, the Mississippi River. I felt a familiar tug in my gut. I tried to imagine that I was dragging the ocean all the way to Denver.**

**"Two, one, zero!"**

**Water exploded out of the pipes. It roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders. I pulled Annabeth into the seat next to me and fastened her seat belt just as the tidal wave slammed into our boat, over the top, whisking the spiders away and dousing us completely, but not capsizing us. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles around the whirlpool.**

**The water was full of short-circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst.**

**Spotlights glared down at us. The Cupid-cams were rolling, live to Olympus.**

**But I could only concentrate on controlling the boat. I willed it to ride the current, to keep away from the wall. Maybe it was my imagination, but the boat seemed to respond.**

**At least, it didn't break into a million pieces. We spun around one last time, the water level now almost high enough to shred us against the metal net. Then the boat's nose turned toward the tunnel and we rocketed through into the darkness.**

**Annabeth and I held tight, both of us screaming as the boat shot curls and hugged corners and took forty-five-degree plunges past pictures of Romeo and Juliet and a bunch of other Valentine's Day stuff.**

**Then we were out of the tunnel, the night air whistling through our hair as the boat barreled straight toward the exit.**

**If the ride had been in working order, we would've sailed off a ramp between the golden Gates of Love and splashed down safely in the exit pool. But there was a problem. The Gates of Love were chained. Two boats that had been washed out of the tunnel before us were now piled against the barricade—one submerged, the other cracked in half.**

**"Unfasten your seat belt," I yelled to Annabeth.**

**"Are you crazy?"**

"Percy is definitely crazy." Connor responded.

**"Unless you want to get smashed to death." I strapped Ares' shield to my arm. "We're going to have to jump for it." My idea was simple and insane. As the boat struck, we would use its force like a springboard to jump the gate. I'd heard of people surviving car crashes that way, getting thrown thirty or forty feet away from an accident. With luck, we would land in the pool.**

"That is kind of a brilliant but dangerous plan." Hera commented.

**Annabeth seemed to understand. She gripped my hand as the gates got closer.**

**"On my mark," I said.**

**"No! On my mark!"**

**"What?"**

**"Simple physics!" she yelled. "Force times the trajectory angle—"**

**"Fine.'" I shouted. "On yourmark!"**

Everyone laughed at this.

**She hesitated ... hesitated ... then yelled, "Now!"**

**Crack!**

**Annabeth was right.**

"Obviously." Athena smirked.

**If we'd jumped when I thought we should've, we would've crashed into the gates. She got us maximum lift.**

**Unfortunately, that was a little more than we needed. Our boat smashed into the pileup and we were thrown into the air, straight over the gates, over the pool, and down toward solid asphalt.**

**Something grabbed me from behind.**

**Annabeth yelled, "Ouch!"**

**Grover!**

"See? The satyr isn't useless!" Thalia said.

**In midair, he had grabbed me by the shirt, and Annabeth by the arm, and was trying to pull us out of a crash landing, but Annabeth and I had all the momentum.**

**"You're too heavy!" Grover said. "We're going down!"**

**We spiraled toward the ground, Grover doing his best to slow the fall.**

**We smashed into a photo-board, Grover's head going straight into the hole where tourists would put their faces, pretending to be Noo-Noo the Friendly Whale. Annabeth and I tumbled to the ground, banged up but alive. Ares's shield was still on my arm.**

Everyone could hear Poseidon sigh in relief.

**Once we caught our breath, Annabeth and I got Grover out of the photo-board and thanked him for saving our lives. I looked back at the Thrill Ride of Love. The water was subsiding. Our boat had been smashed to pieces against the gates.**

**A hundred yards away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming.**

**The statues had swiveled so that their cameras were trained straight on us, the spotlights in our faces.**

**"Show's over!" I yelled. "Thank you! Good night!"**

Zeus growled menacingly at Percy. THAT BRAT!

"Oh I remember that part!" Percy exclaimed, not noticing the evil look Zeus was giving him.

**The Cupids turned back to their original positions. The lights shut off. The park went quiet and dark again, except for the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool. I wondered if Olympus had gone to a commercial break, or if our ratings had been any good.**

"Good? They are going to be fantastic!" Apollo cheered, while the other gods nodded their heads in agreement except for Athena, Zeus and Dionysus.

"I would definitely watch it!" Hermes agreed.

**I hated being teased. I hated being tricked. And I had plenty of experience handling bullies who liked to do that stuff to me. I hefted the shield on my arm and turned to my friends. "We need to have a little talk with Ares."**

"The end!" Percy grinned madly.

"Why are you so happy?" Nico wondered.

Percy frowned. "I don't know."

"Well it's torturing me!"

"Emo!" Percy exclaimed.

"Can you like not understand English? I, Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades, am not emo!" Nico rolled his eyes.

Percy gave Nico his legendary smirk, making him blush, then tossed the book to Thalia.

"Read the next chapter!" Percy said.


	18. Chapter 16

**"We Take a Zebra to Vegas," **Thalia started.

"I think this is one of the more normal chapters." Percy noted.

"Taking a Zebra to Vegas is normal?" Connor asked.

"Duh!" Thalia said, like it was obvious.

**The war god was waiting for us in the diner parking lot.**

**"Well, well," he said. "You didn't get yourself killed."**

**"You knew it was a trap," I said.**

"Ares!" Poseidon growled. "How could you do this to my son!"

Ares shrugged, polishing his sword. "He wasn't killed."

Poseidon glared, snapping his fingers. A whoosh sounded and the next thing everyone saw was that Ares was wet head to toe.

Ares yelped and stood up menacingly.

"Don't. Mess. With. Me." Poseidon spat out, scaring everyone, but Nico, who was glaring at Ares.

Ares slowly sat back down on his throne, but still glared daggers at Poseidon.

**Ares gave me a wicked grin. "Bet that crippled black smith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."**

Percy smiled his signature lopsided grin, making Nico rolled his eyes at him.

**I shoved his shield at him. "You're a jerk."**

**Annabeth and Grover caught their breath.**

**Ares grabbed the shield and spun it in the air like pizza dough. It changed form, melting into a bulletproof vest. He slung it across his back.**

**"See that truck over there?" He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "That's your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."**

Annabeth shivered. That truck smelled horrible and was disgusting!

**The eighteen-wheeler had a sign on the back, which I could read only because it was reverse-printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia: KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL: HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT. WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.**

Percy snorted. "Kindness International? More like Killer International."

"Atleast you got a ride!" Ares said.

**I said, "You're kidding."**

**Ares snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck unlatched. "Free ride west, punk. Stop complaining. And here's a little something for doing the job."**

**He slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to me.**

**Inside were fresh clothes for all of us, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas, and a bag of Double Stuff Oreos.**

"That sounds like a generous gift, considering this came from Ares." Hera commented.

**I said, "I don't want your lousy—"**

**"Thank you, Lord Ares," Grover interrupted, giving me his best red-alert warning look. "Thanks a lot."**

"For once, listen to Grover before Ares eats you." Thalia said.

"I am not a cannibal, punk!" Ares objected.

Thalia sighed. "Not literally, but either way, Percy goes splat."

"Thanks for simplifying it for me." Percy stated.

**I gritted my teeth. It was probably a deadly insult to refuse something from a god, but I didn't want anything that Ares had touched. Reluctantly, I slung the backpack over my shoulder. I knew my anger was being caused by the war god's presence, but I was still itching to punch him in the nose. He reminded me of every bully I'd ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers—every jerk who'd called me stupid in school or laughed at me when I'd gotten expelled.**

**I looked back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now. The waitress who'd served us dinner was watching nervously out the window, like she was afraid Ares might hurt us. She dragged the fry cook out from the kitchen to see. She said something to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of us.**

"People just love you, don't they!" Travis grinned broadly.

"Stalkers" Thalia muttered under her breath.

**Great, I thought. We'll make the papers again tomorrow.**

**I imagined the headline: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENSELESS BIKER.**

"That would be hilarious!" Connor exclaimed.

"Pfft, you can't beat me!" Ares boasted.

Percy and Nico snickered.

**"You owe me one more thing," I told Ares, trying to keep my voice level. "You promised me information about my mother."**

**"You sure you can handle the news?" He kick started his motorcycle. "She's not dead."**

**The ground seemed to spin beneath me. "What do you mean?"**

**"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That's metamorphosis. Not death. She's being kept."**

"Good job, Ares!" Hades grumbled. "You're not clueless!"

**"Kept. Why?"**

**"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else."**

**"Nobody's controlling me."**

"Not true." Thalia, Nico and Annabeth said simultaneously.

"I don't listen to anyone if I don't want to." Percy said, irritated.

"And that's what gets you killed." Connor added.

"Do I look dead to you?" Percy asked.

**He laughed. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."**

**I balled up my fists. "You're pretty smug, Lord Ares, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."**

"Please, Percy. Try not to get yourself killed." Poseidon sighed.

**Behind his sunglasses, fire glowed. I felt a hot wind in my hair. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."**

**He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delancy Street.**

**Annabeth said, "That was not smart, Percy."**

**"I don't care."**

"Typical Percy!" Travis laughed.

**"You don't want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god."**

**"Hey, guys," Grover said. "I hate to interrupt, but ..."**

**He pointed toward the diner. At the register, the last two customers were paying their check, two men in identical black coveralls, with a white logo on their backs that matched the one on the KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL truck.**

**"If we're taking the zoo express," Grover said, "we need to hurry."**

**I didn't like it, but we had no better option. Besides, I'd seen enough of Denver.**

**We ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big rig, closing the doors behind us.**

**The first thing that hit me was the smell. It was like the world's biggest pan of kitty litter.**

**The trailer was dark inside until I uncapped Anaklusmos. The blade cast a faint bronze light over a very sad scene. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were three of the most pathetic zoo animals I'd ever beheld: a zebra, a male albino lion, and some weird antelope thing I didn't know the name for.**

**Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which he obviously didn't want to eat. The zebra and the antelope had each gotten a Styrofoam tray of hamburger meat. The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum, like somebody had been spitting on it in their spare time. The antelope had a stupid silver birthday balloon tied to one of his horns that read OVER THE HILL!**

"Poor animals!" Aphrodite frowned.

"Wait until I get my hands on those mortals!" Artemis yelled, outraged.

**Apparently, nobody had wanted to get close enough to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing around on soiled blankets, in a space way too small for him, panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes and his ribs showed through his white fur.**

**"This is kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"**

**He probably would've gone right back outside to beat up the truckers with his reed pipes,**

"Exactly what Grover would've done." Thalia chimed in.

**and I would've helped him, but just then the trucks engine roared to life, the trailer started shaking, and we were forced to sit down or fall down.**

**We huddled in the corner on some mildewed feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell and the heat and the flies. Grover talked to the animals in a series of goat bleats, but they just stared at him sadly. Annabeth was in favor of breaking the cages and freeing them on the spot, but I pointed out it wouldn't do much good until the truck stopped moving. Besides, I had a feeling we might look a lot better to the lion than those turnips.**

Connor shrugged. "It would've been funny if you went through all that just to be killed by a hungry lion."

**I found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then used Anaklusmos to drag the mismatched food out of their cages. I gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope.**

**Grover calmed the antelope down, while Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn. She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, too, but we decided that would be too risky with the truck bumping around. We told Grover to promise the animals we'd help them more in the morning, then we settled in for night.**

**Grover curled up on a turnip sack; Annabeth opened our bag of Double Stuf Oreos and nibbled on one halfheartedly; I tried to cheer myself up by concentrating on the fact that we were halfway to Los Angeles. Halfway to our destination. It was only June fourteenth. The solstice wasn't until the twenty-first. We could make it in plenty of time.**

**On the other hand, I had no idea what to expect next. The gods kept toying with me. At least Hephaestus had the decency to be honest about it—he'd put up cameras and advertised me as entertainment. But even when the cameras weren't rolling, I had a feeling my quest was being watched. I was a source of amusement for the gods.**

"Olympus can get very boring sometimes." Hermes grinned.

**"Hey," Annabeth said, "I'm sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Percy."**

**"That's okay."**

**"It's just..." She shuddered. "Spiders."**

Annabeth whimpered at the thought of all those spiders.

**"Because of the Arachne story," I guessed. "She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?"**

**Annabeth nodded. "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there's a spider within a mile of me, it'll find me. I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you."**

**"We're a team, remember?" I said. "Besides, Grover did the fancy flying."**

**I thought he was asleep, but he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"**

**Annabeth and I laughed.**

**She pulled apart an Oreo, handed me half. "In the Iris message ... did Luke really say nothing?"**

**I munched my cookie and thought about how to answer. The conversation via rainbow had bothered me all evening. "Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."**

Thalia growled.

**In the dim bronze light of the sword blade, it was hard to read their expressions.**

**Grover let out a mournful bray.**

**"I should've told you the truth from the beginning." His voice trembled. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you wouldn't want me along."**

**"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus."**

**He nodded glumly.**

**"And the other two half-bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp ..." I looked at Annabeth. "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"**

**She put down her Oreo, uneaten. "Like you said, Percy, a seven-year-old half-blood wouldn't have made it very far alone. Athena guided me toward help. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They'd both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them. They were ... amazing monster-fighters, even without training. We traveled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."**

**"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," he said, sniffling. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from Chiron: don't do anything that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves.**

**I thought ... I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns. If I'd just been a little quicker …"**

Thalia sighed. "It wasn't his fault. I chose my fate."

**"Stop it," Annabeth said. "No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you either."**

**"She sacrificed herself to save us," he said miserably, "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."**

"Well, than the Council of Cloven Elders suck!" Thalia grinned broadly.

"Yup!" Percy, Nico and Annabeth agreed.

"We should play a prank on them when we get back." Connor suggested, Travis smiled.

**"Because you wouldn't leave two other half-bloods behind?" I said. "That's not fair."**

**"Percy's right," Annabeth said. "I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We don't care what the council says."**

**Grover kept sniffling in the dark. "It's just my luck. I'm the lamest satyr ever, and I find the two most powerful half-bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy."**

"Don't forget me!" Nico interrupted.

"And Bianca." Percy added.

"So that's the four most powerful half-bloods in the century." Annabeth said. "He should be proud of himself."

"Stupid satyrs…" Zeus muttered.

**"You're not lame," Annabeth insisted. "You've got more courage than any satyr I've ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you're here right now."**

**She kicked me in the shin.**

"Good job Annie!" Thalia smiled.

**"Yeah," I said, which I would've done even without the kick.**

"Oops." Annabeth chuckled.

**"It's not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You've got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You're a natural searcher. That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan."**

"Huh… Ironic." Percy mentioned.

"Definitely!" all the half-bloods agreed.

**I heard a deep, satisfied sigh. I waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing only got heavier. When the sound turned to snoring, I realized he'd fallen sleep.**

**"How does he do that?" I marveled.**

**"I don't know," Annabeth said. "But that was really a nice thing you told him."**

**"I meant it."**

**We rode in silence for a few miles, bumping around on the feed sacks. The zebra munched a turnip. The lion licked the last of the hamburger meat off his lips and looked at me hopefully.**

**Annabeth rubbed her necklace like she was thinking deep, strategic thoughts.**

**"That pine-tree bead," I said. "Is that from your first year?"**

**She looked. She hadn't realized what she was doing.**

**"Yeah," she said. "Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I've got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress—now thatwas a weird summer..."**

**"A centaur in a prom dress?" Percy asked, bewildered.**

"Long story short, it was funny!" Annabeth laughed.

**"And the college ring is your father's?"**

**"That's none of your—" She stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."**

**"You don't have to tell me."**

**"No ... it's okay." She took a shaky breath. "My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He wouldn't have gotten through his doctoral program at Harvard with out her... That's a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him."**

**"That doesn't sound so bad."**

**"Yeah, well... the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She didn't want her kids put in danger by living with a freak. Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attacked. We argued. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood."**

**"You think you'll ever try living with your dad again?"**

**She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Please. I'm not into self-inflicted pain."**

**"You shouldn't give up," I told her. "You should write him a letter or something."**

**"Thanks for the advice," she said coldly, "but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."**

**We passed another few miles of silence.**

**"So if the gods fight," I said, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"**

**She put her head against the backpack Ares had given us, and closed her eyes. "I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."**

**"Why?"**

**"Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"**

**I couldn't think of an answer for that. Fortunately I didn't have to. Annabeth was asleep.**

**I had trouble following her example, with Grover snoring and an albino lion staring hungrily at me, but eventually I closed my eyes.**

**My nightmare started out as something I'd dreamed a million times before: I was being forced to take a standardized test while wearing a straitjacket.**

"What a weird nightmare…" Hephaestus said.

"Yeah, maybe if you ate more cereal than you wouldn't be getting these nightmares." Demeter scolded.

"Does that even make sense? How does cereal help?" Percy asked.

"Cereal can help with anything." Demeter said matter-of-factly.

"Same old Demeter…" Nico sighed. Putting his head on Percy's shoulder.

**All the other kids were going out to recess, and the teacher kept saying, Comeon, Percy. You're not stupid, are you? Pick up your pencil.**

**Then the dream strayed from the usual.**

**I looked over at the next desk and saw a girl sitting there, also wearing a straitjacket. She was my age, with unruly black, punk-style hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy green eyes, and freckles across her nose. Somehow, I knew who she was. She was Thalia, daughter of Zeus.**

"What a creeper" Thalia joked.

"Your description was so accurate…" Annabeth said unbelievably.

"Except the eyes!" Nico chimed in.

**She struggled against the straitjacket, glared at me in frustration, and snapped,Well, Seaweed Brain? One of us has to get out of here.**

"Weird…" Hermes mentioned.

**She's right, my dream-self thought. I'm going back to that cavern. I'm going to give Hades a piece of my mind.**

**The straitjacket melted off me. I fell through the class room floor. The teacher's voice changed until it was cold and evil, echoing from the depths of a great chasm.**

**Percy Jackson,it said. Yes, the exchange went well, I see.**

"What? Exchange?" a confused Dionysus asked. Many were surprised he was even listening.

**I was back in the dark cavern, spirits of the dead drifting around me. Unseen in the pit, the monstrous thing was speaking, but this time it wasn't addressing me. The numbing power of its voice seemed directed somewhere else.**

**And he suspects nothing?it asked.**

**Another voice, one I almost recognized, answered at my shoulder. Nothing, my is as ignorant as the rest.**

**I looked over, but no one was there. The speaker was invisible.**

**Deception upon deception,the thing in the pit mused aloud. Excellent.**

**Truly, my lord,said the voice next to me,you are well-named the Crooked One. But was it really necessary? I could have brought you what I stole directly—**

Zeus growled.

**You? the monster said in have already shown your limits. You would have failed me completely had I not intervened.**

**But, my lord—**

**Peace, little servant. Our six months have bought us much. Zeus's anger has grown. Poseidon has played his most desperate card. Now we shall use it against him. Shortly you shall have the reward you wish, and your revenge. As soon as both items are delivered into my hands ... but wait. He is here.**

**What?The invisible servant suddenly sounded tense. You summoned him, my lord?**

** full force of the monsters attention was now pouring over me, freezing me in father's blood—he is too changeable, too unpredictable. The boy brought himself hither.**

**Impossible!the servant cried.**

**For a weakling such as you, perhaps,the voice snarled. Then its cold power turned back on me. So ... you wish to dream of your quest, young half-blood? Then I will oblige.**

**The scene changed.**

**I was standing in a vast throne room with black marble walls and bronze floors. The empty, horrid throne was made from human bones fused together. Standing at the foot of the dais was my mother, frozen in shimmering golden light, her arms outstretched.**

**I tried to step toward her, but my legs wouldn't move. I reached for her, only to realize that my hands were withering to bones. Grinning skeletons in Greek armor crowded around me, draping me with silk robes, wreathing my head with laurels that smoked with Chimera poison, burning into my scalp.**

**The evil voice began to laugh. Hail, the conquering hero!**

**I woke with a start.**

**Grover was shaking my shoulder. "The truck's stopped," he said. "We think they're coming to check on the animals."**

**"Hide!" Annabeth hissed.**

**She had it easy. She just put on her magic cap and disappeared.**

"Not my fault you don't have a magic cap." Annabeth smirked.

**Grover and I had to dive behind feed sacks and hope we looked like turnips.**

"Hoped you looked like turnips?" Thalia laughed.

"How old are you, 3?" Connor mocked.

"No, but you act like one, Connor." Percy sighed.

**The trailer doors creaked open. Sunlight and heat poured in.**

**"Man!" one of the truckers said, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose. "I wish I hauled appliances." He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animals' dishes.**

**"You hot, big boy?" he asked the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket right in the lion's face.**

"WHAT!" Artemis screeched loudly.

**The lion roared in indignation.**

**"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the man said.**

"EAT HIM, LION!" Artemis again interrupted.

"Could you shut up so we can finish the chapter?" Hera said.

**Next to me, under the turnip sacks, Grover tensed. For a peace-loving herbivore, he looked downright murderous.**

**The trucker threw the antelope a squashed-looking Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the zebra. "How ya doin', Stripes? Least we'll be getting rid of youthis stop. You like magic shows? You're gonna love this one. They're gonna saw you in half!"**

"He was kidding…right?" Artemis shivered.

**The zebra, wild-eyed with fear, looked straight at me.**

**There was no sound, but as clear as day, I heard it say: Free me, lord. Please.**

"I wish I could talk to horses." Nico said, crest-fallen.

"At least you can talk to dead people." Percy said, hoping to cheer him up a bit.

When Nico didn't, he kissed him on the lips. Then asked, "Better"

"Yeah, thanks for that" Percy smiled at him then hugged his waist.

**I was too stunned to react.**

**There was a loud knock, knock, knockon the side of the trailer.**

**The trucker inside with us yelled, "What do you want, Eddie?"**

**A voice outside—it must've been Eddie's—shouted back, "Maurice? What'd ya say?"**

**"What are you banging for?"**

**Knock, knock, knock.**

**Outside, Eddie yelled, "What banging?"**

**Our guy Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.**

**A second later, Annabeth appeared next to me. She must've done the banging to get Maurice out of the trailer. She said, "This transport business can't be legal."**

**"No kidding," Grover said. He paused, as if listening. "The lion says these guys are animal smugglers!"**

**That's right,the zebra's voice said in my mind.**

**"We've got to free them!" Grover said. He and Annabeth both looked at me, waiting for my lead.**

**I'd heard the zebra talk, but not the lion. Why? Maybe it was another learning disability ... I could only under stand zebras? Then I thought: horses. What had Annabeth said about Poseidon creating horses? Was a zebra close enough to a horse? Was that why I could understand it?**

**The zebra said, Open my cage, lord. Please. I'll be fine after that.**

**Outside, Eddie and Maurice were still yelling at each other, but I knew they'd be coming inside to torment the animals again any minute. I grabbed Riptide and slashed the lock off the zebra's cage.**

**The zebra burst out. It turned to me and bowed. Thank you, lord.**

**Grover held up his hands and said something to the zebra in goat talk, like a blessing.**

"It probably was." Artemis nodded, silently thanking Grover.

**Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to check out the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street. There was yelling and screaming and cars honking. We rushed to the doors of the trailer in time to see the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard lined with hotels and casinos and neon signs. We'd just released a zebra in Las Vegas.**

"Ohh… The title!" Connor and Travis said.

**Maurice and Eddie ran after it, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"**

"Nice job, guys." Travis praised.

**"Now would be a good time to leave," Annabeth said.**

**"The other animals first," Grover said.**

**I cut the locks with my sword. Grover raised his hands and spoke the same goat-blessing he'd used for the zebra.**

**"Good luck," I told the animals. The antelope and the lion burst out of their cages and went off together into the streets.**

**Some tourists screamed. Most just backed off and took pictures, probably thinking it was some kind of stunt by one of the casinos.**

**"Will the animals be okay?" I asked Grover. "I mean, the desert and all—"**

**"Don't worry," he said. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."**

**"Meaning?"**

**"Meaning they'll reach the wild safely," he said. "They'll find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."**

**"Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" I asked.**

"That would be too easy…" Annabeth murmured.

"But it'd be cool." Nico added.

**"It only works on wild animals."**

**"So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned.**

Everyone laughed loudly, while Percy pouted.

**"Hey!" I protested.**

**"Kidding," she said. "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck."**

**We stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It was a hundred and ten degrees, easy, and we must've looked like deep-fried vagrants, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention.**

**We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed pyramids, a pirate ship, and the Statue of Liberty, which was a pretty small replica, but still made me homesick.**

**I wasn't sure what we were looking for. Maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, find a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, make a new plan for getting west.**

**We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.**

"The Lotus Casino?" Hades and Nico said at the same time. Though Nico was freaking out incredibly. Making Percy tighten his grib on Nico waist, which got him to calm down a little.

Thalia sighed. "Yes."

"The Lotus Casino!" Athena repeated.

"Are you all deaf or something?" Thalia said.

"Don't talk to us like that, daughter of Zeus." Athena growled.

"Athena." Zeus warned.

"This is not good…" Athena mumbled

**The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking. No one was going in or out, but the glittering chrome doors were open, spilling out air-conditioning that smelled like flowers—lotus blossom, maybe. I'd never smelled one, so I wasn't sure.**

**The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"**

**I'd learned to be suspicious, the last week or so. I figured anybody might be a monster or a god. You just couldn't tell. But this guy was normal. One look at him, and I could see. Besides, I was so relieved to hear somebody who sounded sympathetic that I nodded and said we'd love to come in.**

"Oh gods…" Nico groaned. He remembered when he was there before.

**Inside, we took one look around, and Grover said, "Whoa."**

**The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I'm not talking about cheesy old Pac-Man games or slot machines. There was an indoor waterslide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee-jumping bridge. There were virtual-reality suits with working laser guns. And hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.**

"Cool!" Travis and Connor screamed.

"Not really." Percy shrugged.

"Stop acting like little kids!" Annabeth said annoyingly.

"Chill, would ya?" Connor said.

"No."

"Food…" Apollo mentioned.

**"Hey!" a bellhop said. At least I guessed he was a bellhop. He wore a white-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shorts, and flip-flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here's your room key."**

**I stammered, "Um, but..."**

**"No, no," he said, laughing. "The bill's taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or what ever, just call the front desk. Here are your LotusCash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."**

"Something smells fishy…" Poseidon narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure it's not you?" Athena said disgustingly.

"Of course I smell of fish, but I would be used to it! I meant metaphorically." Poseidon snapped.

**He handed us each a green plastic credit card.**

**I knew there must be some mistake. Obviously he thought we were some millionaire's kids. But I took the card and said, "How much is on here?"**

**His eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"**

**"I mean, when does it run out of cash?"**

**He laughed. "Oh, you're making a joke. Hey, that's cool. Enjoy your stay."**

**We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with candy, sodas, and chips. A hotline to room service. Fluffy towels and water beds with feather pillows. A big-screen television with satellite and high-speed Internet. The balcony had its own hot tub, and sure enough, there was a skeet-shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun. I didn't see how that could be legal, but I thought it was pretty cool. The view over the Strip and the desert was amazing, though I doubted we'd ever find time to look at the view with a room like this.**

"The Lotus Casino…" Poseidon murmured absent-mindedly. "Sounds so familiar."

**"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is ..."**

**"Sweet," Grover said. "Absolutely sweet."**

**There were clothes in the closet, and they fit me. I frowned, thinking that this was a little strange.**

**I threw Ares's backpack in the trash can. Wouldn't need that anymore. When we left, I could just charge a new one at the hotel store.**

**I took a shower, which felt awesome after a week of grimy travel. I changed clothes, ate a bag of chips, drank three Cokes, and came out feeling better than I had in a long time. In the back of my mind, some small problem kept nagging me. I'd had a dream or something ... I needed to talk to my friends. But I was sure it could wait.**

"No, it couldn't wait." Thalia talked to the book.

**I came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth and Grover had also showered and changed clothes. Grover was eating potato chips to his heart's content, while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel.**

**"All those stations," I told her, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"**

Annabeth frowned. "What's wrong with the National Geographic channel?"

"Everything." Connor and Travis groaned.

**"It's interesting."**

**"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place."**

**Without his even realizing it, the wings sprouted out of his shoes and lifted him a foot off the ground, then back down again.**

**"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"**

**Grover and I looked at each other and grinned. We both held up our green plastic LotusCash cards.**

**"Play time," I said.**

**I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun. I came from a relatively poor family. Our idea of a splurge was eating out at Burger King and renting a video. A five-star Vegas hotel? Forget it.**

**I bungee-jumped the lobby five or six times, did the waterslide, snowboarded the artificial ski slope, and played virtual-reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooter. I saw Grover a few times, going from game to game. He really liked the reverse hunter thing—where the deer go out and shoot the rednecks.**

"That's… interesting." Thalia tried not to laugh.

**I saw Annabeth playing trivia games and other brainiac stuff. They had this huge 3-D Sim game where you build your own city, and you could actually see the holographic buildings rise on the display board. I didn't think much of it, but Annabeth loved it.**

"Typical daughter of Athena." Hermes and Apollo said, than laughed.

**I'm not sure when I first realized something was wrong.**

"Finally." Thalia smiled.

**Probably, it was when I noticed the guy standing next to me at VR sharpshooters. He was about thirteen, I guess, but his clothes were weird. I thought he was some Elvis impersonator's son. He wore bell-bottom jeans and a red T-shirt with black piping, and his hair was permed and gelled like a New Jersey girl's on homecoming night.**

"That actually sounds pretty familiar to me." Nico laughed nervously. "Maybe I met him before."

**We played a game of sharpshooters together and he said, "Groovy, man. Been here two weeks, and the games keep getting better and better."**

**Groovy?**

**Later, while we were talking, I said something was "sick," and he looked at me kind of startled, as if he'd never heard the word used that way before.**

**He said his name was Darrin, but as soon as I started asking him questions he got bored with me and started to go back to the computer screen.**

**I said, "Hey, Darrin?"**

**"What?"**

**"What year is it?"**

**He frowned at me. "In the game?"**

**"No. In real life."**

**He had to think about it. "1977."**

"WHAT!" Some of the gods shouted.

Athena nodded, like she got a question right, while Percy rubbed his neck nervously.

**"No," I said, getting a little scared. "Really."**

**"Hey, man. Bad vibes. I got a game happening."**

**After that he totally ignored me.**

**I started talking to people, and I found it wasn't easy. They were glued to the TV screen, or the video game, or their food, or whatever. I found a guy who told me it was 1985. Another guy told me it was 1993. They all claimed they hadn't been in here very long, a few days, a few weeks at most. They didn't really know and they didn't care.**

**Then it occurred to me: how long had I been here? It seemed like only a couple of hours, but was it?**

**I tried to remember why we were here. We were going to Los Angeles. We were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld. My mother ... for a scary second, I had trouble remembering her name. Sally. Sally Jackson. I had to find her. I had to stop Hades from causing World War III.**

The gods were too stunned to speak.

**I found Annabeth still building her city.**

**"Come on," I told her. "We've got to get out of here."**

**No response.**

**I shook her. "Annabeth?"**

**She looked up, annoyed. "What?**

**"We need to leave."**

**"Leave? What are you talking about? I've just got the towers—"**

**"This place is a trap."**

**She didn't respond until I shook her again. "What?"**

**"Listen. The Underworld. Our quest!"**

**"Oh, come on, Percy. Just a few more minutes."**

**"Annabeth, there are people here from 1977. Kids who have never aged. You check in, and you stay forever."**

**"So?" she asked. "Can you imagine a better place?"**

"Not really…" Nico said, getting hit on the head by Thalia. "Ouch! But it's not like anyone would stay there…" he said nervously.

**I grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the game.**

**"Hey!" She screamed and hit me, but nobody else even bothered looking at us. They were too busy.**

**I made her look directly in my eyes. I said, "Spiders. Large, hairy spiders."**

Annabeth shivered.

**That jarred her. Her vision cleared. "Oh my gods," she said. "How long have we—"**

**"I don't know, but we've got to find Grover."**

**We went searching, and found him still playing Virtual Deer Hunter.**

**"Grover!" we both shouted.**

**He said, "Die, human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"**

Everyone laughed at that statement.

**"Grover!"**

**He turned the plastic gun on me and started clicking, as if I were just another image from the screen.**

**I looked at Annabeth, and together we took Grover by the arms and dragged him away. His flying shoes sprang to life and started tugging his legs in the other direction as he shouted, "No! I just got to a new level! No!"**

**The Lotus bellhop hurried up to us. "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"**

**"We're leaving," I told him.**

**"Such a shame," he said, and I got the feeling that he really meant it, that we'd be breaking his heart if we went. "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum-card members."**

**He held out the cards, and I wanted one. I knew that if I took one, I'd never leave. I'd stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I'd forget my mom, and my quest, and maybe even my own name. I'd be playing virtual rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever.**

"That would be pretty horrible." Apollo grimaced.

**Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and said, "No, thanks."**

**We walked toward the door, and as we did, the smell of the food and the sounds of the games seemed to get more and more inviting. I thought about our room upstairs. We could just stay the night, sleep in a real bed for once...**

**Then we burst through the doors of the Lotus Casino and ran down the sidewalk. It felt like afternoon, about the same time of day we'd gone into the casino, but something was wrong. The weather had completely changed. It was stormy, with heat lightning flashing out in the desert.**

**Ares's backpack was slung over my shoulder, which was odd, because I was sure I had thrown it in the trash can in room 4001, but at the moment I had other problems to worry about.**

"Wonder how it came back to you…" Travis said.

"Not the weirdest thing that's happened to me." Percy replied.

**I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. Thank the gods, it was the same year it had been when we went in. Then I noticed the date: June twentieth.**

Everyone but Annabeth and Percy gasped loudly.

"My life sucks." Percy replied bluntly, grinning.

**We had been in the Lotus Casino for five days.**

"What a waste of time." Thalia mentioned.

**We had only one day left until the summer solstice. One day to complete our quest.**

"Tough luck, punk." Ares said.

"That's the end of the chapter." Thalia said.

"I'll read next." Connor said.

Percy's stomach grumbled and he looked up sheepishly. "Mind if we eat dinner first?"

Apollo stood up faster than his red cow when being fed. "Okay! Good idea." He than ran out the room.

Some of the gods grumbled, but went out too.


	19. Chapter 17

Everyone filed into the room after eating dinner.

"I. Am. Starving!" Nico said.

"Who's the one that's obsessed with food now?" Percy smirked. "You practically ate half the table."

"Just saying, but that table was tiny." Nico retorted.

"That's because were not Minotaurs who try to bite everything that's in their way."

"Whatever, I was hungry and I practically skipped lunch and breakfast."

Apollo pretended to gasp. "How can you miss a meal?"

"I agree with Apollo." Percy said.

"Ah, be quiet." Nico sighed.

"Could you both stop arguing?" Thalia snapped.

"Aww, lover's quarrel!" Aphrodite cooed.

Percy and Nico both blushed.

"Annoying Aphrodite…" Nico grumbled.

I think that Nico looks so much better than Aphrodite and a million drachmas combined. Percy thought. If you can hear this, take that, Aphrodite!

Aphrodite's eyes flared and she growled menacingly. "What. Did. You. Say?"

"Technically, I didn't say anything…" Percy nervously squeaked.

"YOU'LL REGRET IT, PERSEUS JACKSON!" Aphrodite screeched.

Percy yelped and ran over to his father's throne.

"Help me, dad!" he pleaded.

"What did you do?" Poseidon tried not to chuckle, but the others were not having much success as most of them were on the ground rolling and laughing crazily.

"I won't obliterate you just because Nicery is so cute." Aphrodite muttered.

Percy was so confused. "Nicery?"

"Read already!" Dionysus looked like he was going to kill himself just to get over with this torture.

**"We Shop For Water Beds?" **Connor read.

**It was Annabeth's idea.**

"Than it must be a good idea." Athena proudly said.

**She loaded us into the back of a Vegas taxi as if we actually had money, and told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."**

**The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."**

**"You accept casino debit cards?" Annabeth asked.**

**He shrugged. "Some of 'em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through first."**

**Annabeth handed him her green LotusCash card.**

"I wonder if it actually works." Hermes said.

"Well you would find out if you just shut up!" Athena grumbled.

**He looked at it skeptically.**

**"Swipe it," Annabeth invited.**

**He did.**

**His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign.**

"Whaaat?" Apollo and Hermes said in unison, in shock.

"I wish I kept mine now…" Nico pouted. "Speaking of which, I wonder what I did with mine."

**The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He looked back at us, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles... uh, Your Highness?"**

"Your Highness?" Nico choked.

**"The Santa Monica Pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter. I could tell she liked the "Your Highness" thing.**

"Who wouldn't?" Annabeth asked.

**"Get us there fast, and you can keep the change."**

**Maybe she shouldn't have told him that. The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety-five the whole way through the Mojave Desert.**

**On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. I told Annabeth and Grover about my latest dream, but the details got sketchier the more I tried to remember them. The Lotus Casino seemed to have short-circuited my memory.**

"That sucks." Connor said.

**I couldn't recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, though I was sure it was somebody I knew. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord" ... some special name or title...**

**"The Silent One?" Annabeth suggested. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades."**

"Everyone accuses the innocent!" Hades said exasperatedly.

Percy nodded his head. "I know what ya mean."

"Sorry." Annabeth sheepishly said to Hades.

Percy looked expectantly to Zeus.

"What, don't expect me to say that word." Zeus said, while everyone rolled their eyes.

**"Maybe ..." I said, though neither sounded quite right.**

**"That throne room sounds like Hades's," Grover said. "That's the way it's usually described."**

**I shook my head. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit ... I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."**

**Annabeth's eyes widened.**

"Umm…" Percy rubbed his neck.

**"What?" I asked.**

**"Oh ... nothing. I was just—No, it hasto be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong—"**

"Man, it sounds like you have a grudge against Hades." Nico grumbled.

"And I thought only children of Hades could only have such a strong grudge." Travis added.

"I did not have a grudge!" Annabeth objected.

**"Like what?"**

**"I—I don't know," she said. "But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt."**

**I wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She looked pale.**

**"But if I'd already retrieved the bolt," I said, "why would I be traveling to the Underworld?"**

"That's true." Nico said.

**"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back."**

"That's also a good point…" Thalia said.

**I whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat."**

**"Why, thank you."**

**"But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items," I said. "If the master bolt is one, what's the other?"**

"It was the…" Percy started, but Nico covered his mouth in time.

"Don't tell them, let them figure it out." Nico hissed.

"Oh yeah…"

Almost everyone glared at Nico. They really wanted to know what the other one was.

**Grover shook his head, clearly mystified.**

**Annabeth was looking at me as if she knew my next question, and was silently willing me not to ask it.**

**"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" I asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?"**

**"Percy ... let's not talk about it. Because if it isn't Hades ... No. It has to be Hades."**

"No it doesn't." Hades glared.

Annabeth slouched into her seat, guilt-ridden.

**Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said CALI FORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.**

**I got the feeling I was missing one simple, critical piece of information. It was like when I stared at a common word I should know, but I couldn't make sense of it because one or two letters were floating around. The more I thought about my quest, the more I was sure that confronting Hades wasn't the real answer. There was something else going on, something even more dangerous.**

**The problem was: we were hurtling toward the Underworld at ninety-five miles an hour, betting that Hades had the master bolt. If we got there and found out we were wrong, we wouldn't have time to correct ourselves. The solstice deadline would pass and war would begin.**

**"The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured me.**

"It technically was in the Underworld." Percy said.

**"You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing."**

**She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but my heart wasn't in it. There were just too many unknown factors. It was like cramming for a test without knowing the subject. And believe me, I'd done that enough times.**

**The cab sped west. Every gust of wind through Death Valley sounded like a spirit of the dead. Every time the brakes hissed on an eighteen-wheeler, it reminded me of Echidna's reptilian voice.**

**At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse.**

"Yuck!" Aphrodite scowled.

"At least you didn't smell it…" Percy grumbled.

**There were carnival rides lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave.**

**Grover, Annabeth, and I walked down to the edge of the surf.**

**"What now?" Annabeth asked.**

**The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I'd stood on the beach at Montauk, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea.**

**How could there be a god who could control all that? What did my science teacher used to say—two-thirds of the earth's surface was covered in water? How could I be the son of someone that powerful?**

"Yeah, it's a little weird if you think of it like that…" Thalia murmured.

**I stepped into the surf**

**"Percy?" Annabeth said. "What are you doing?"**

**I kept walking, up to my waist, then my chest.**

**She called after me, "You know how polluted that water is? There're all kinds of toxic—"**

**That's when my head went under.**

"Ohh, so that's how you get away from nagging people!" Nico laughed.

"What a useful lesson." Apollo joked, only to get hit by the goddesses.

**I held my breath at first. It's difficult to intentionally inhale water. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I gasped. Sure enough, I could breathe normally.**

"Duh!" Connor scrunched up his face.

**I walked down into the shoals. I shouldn't have been able to see through the murk, but somehow I could tell where everything was. I could sense the rolling texture of the bottom. I could make out sand-dollar colonies dotting the sandbars. I could even see the currents, warm and cold streams swirling together.**

**I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark.**

"HOLY TOMATO SAUCE!" Travis yelped.

"Holy tomato sauce? Really?" Nico said.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Everything." Annabeth laughed.

"Wow, it must've been freaky." Thalia said.

**But the thing wasn't attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog.**

"Ha, and you said that Zeus was better than Poseidon." Percy whispered to Thalia.

"That's because he is!" an outraged Thalia said.

"Nuh uh!" Percy retorted.

"UH HUH!"

"NUH UH!"

"Shut up, will ya!" Nico interrupted.

"No!" Percy and Thalia said in unison, turning on poor Nico.

Wisely, Connor began reading to avoid another argument.

**Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. I grabbed the fin with both hands. It took off, pulling me along. The shark carried me down into the darkness. It deposited me at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there.**

**The surface shimmered maybe a hundred and fifty feet above. I knew I should've been crushed by the pressure. Then again, I shouldn't have been able to breathe. I wondered if there was a limit to how deep I could go, if I could sink straight to the bottom of the Pacific.**

"You can" Poseidon said to the book.

**Then I saw something glimmering in the darkness below, growing bigger and brighter as it rose toward me. A woman's voice, like my mother's, called: "Percy Jackson."**

**As she got closer, her shape became clearer. She had flowing black hair, a dress made of green silk. Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so distractingly beautiful I hardly noticed the stallion-sized sea horse she was riding. She dismounted. The sea horse and the mako shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag.**

Connor tried not to laugh, but couldn't resist. "A shark playing tag with a sea horse?"

"Yup!"

**The underwater lady smiled at me. "You've come far, Percy Jackson. Well done."**

**I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "You're the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi River."**

**"Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honor Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court."**

**"And ... you serve in Poseidon's court?"**

**She nodded. "It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest."**

**Suddenly I remembered faces in the waves off Montauk Beach when I was a little boy, reflections of smiling women. Like so many of the weird things in my life, I'd never given it much thought before.**

**"If my father is so interested in me," I said, "why isn't he here? Why doesn't he speak to me?"**

"I would" Poseidon piped up. "But some brothers are too heartless to care." He said, looking at Zeus.

Hades fake coughed to get attention. "I hope your not talking about me."

Percy chuckled. "I don't think so."

"Even though you live in the underworld, your not as heartless as my other brother of mine." Poseidon huffed.

"I'm not heartless!" Zeus boomed. "It's the law!"

**A cold current rose out of the depths.**

**"Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly," the Nereid told me. "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favoritism."**

**"Even to their own children?"**

**"Especially to them. The gods can work by indirect influence only. That is why I give you a warning, and a gift."**

**She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in her palm.**

**"I know you journey to Hades's realm," she said. "Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?"**

"Percy's good at annoying people. Does that count?" Connor snickered, while Percy glared.

**"Urn ... no, ma'am."**

**"Ah, but you have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to man hood.**

"Huh, I finally understand what she was talking about." Percy said.

**Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet."**

**"What will happen?"**

**"That," she said, "depends on the need. But remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."**

**"What about the warning?"**

**Her eyes flickered with green light. "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your own judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson."**

**She summoned her sea horse and rode toward the void.**

**"Wait!" I called. "At the river, you said not to trust the gifts. What gifts?"**

**"Good-bye, young hero," she called back, her voice fading into the depths. "You must listen to your heart." She became a speck of glowing green, and then she was gone.**

**I wanted to follow her down into the darkness. I wanted to see the court of Poseidon. But I looked up at the sunset darkening on the surface. My friends were waiting. We had so little time...**

**I kicked upward toward the shore.**

**When I reached the beach, my clothes dried instantly. I told Grover and Annabeth what had happened, and showed them the pearls.**

**Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price."**

**"They were free."**

**"No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait."**

"Thanks for ruining the mood." Thalia said.

"Well sorry, next time I'll just keep my mouth shut and let everyone die." Annabeth smugly said.

**On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea.**

**With some spare change from Ares's backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood. I showed the driver the Underworld address slip I'd taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he'd never heard of DOA Recording Studios.**

"Mortals wont know what that is." Athena knowingly said.

**"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," he told me. "You a child actor or something?"**

**"Uh ... I'm a stunt double ... for a lot of child actors."**

**"Oh! That explains it."**

**We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop.**

**We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It didn't appear in the phone book.**

**Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars.**

**I froze in front of an appliance-store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody who looked very familiar—my stepdad, Smelly Gabe. He was talking to Barbara Walters—I mean, as if he were some kind of huge celebrity. She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blond lady sitting next to him, patting his hand.**

**A fake tear glistened on his cheek. He was saying, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife ... my Camaro ... I—I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."**

"That little pig!" Poseidon yelled.

"Calm down Uncle P." Apollo called out. "You don't want another earthquake to hit Japan."

**"There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver."**

**The screen cut to a grainy shot of me, Annabeth, and Grover standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares.**

**"Who are the other children in this photo?" Barbara Walters asked dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America."**

No, its okay. We won't stay tuned." Thalia said, irritated

**"C'mon," Grover told me. He hauled me away before I could punch a hole in the appliance-store window.**

**It got dark, and hungry-looking characters started coming out on the streets to play. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a New Yorker. I don't scare easy. But L.A. had a totally different feel from New York. Back home, everything seemed close. It didn't matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere without getting lost. The street pattern and the subway made sense. There was a system to how things worked. A kid could be safe as long as he wasn't stupid.**

"I wonder how you survived all these years, Percy." Thalia laughed, while everyone else snickered.

**L.A. wasn't like that. It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around. It reminded me of Ares. It wasn't enough for L.A. to be big; it had to prove it was big by being loud and strange and difficult to navigate, too. I didn't know how we were ever going to find the entrance to the Underworld by tomorrow, the summer solstice.**

**We walked past gangbangers, bums, and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging.**

**As we hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you."**

**Like an idiot, I stopped.**

**Before I knew it, we were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled us. Six of them in all—white kids with expensive clothes and mean faces. Like the kids at Yancy Academy: rich brats playing at being bad boys.**

**Instinctively, I uncapped Riptide.**

"Ugh, did you forget they were mortals?" Athena said.

**When the sword appeared out of nowhere, the kids backed off, but their leader was either really stupid or really brave, because he kept coming at me with a switchblade.**

**I made the mistake of swinging.**

**The kid yelped. But he must've been one hundred per cent mortal, because the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest. He looked down. "What the ..."**

**I figured I had about three seconds before his shock turned to anger. "Run!" I screamed at Annabeth and Grover.**

**We pushed two kids out of the way and raced down the street, not knowing where we were going. We turned a sharp corner.**

**"There!" Annabeth shouted.**

**Only one store on the block looked open, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door said something like CRSTUY'S WATRE BDE ALPACE.**

"Ha, this time it's not my fault." Percy smiled.

"One time, One time!" Annabeth glared, but soon smiled widely.

**"Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover translated.**

**It didn't sound like a place I'd ever go except in an emergency, but this definitely qualified.**

**We burst through the doors, ran behind a water bed, and ducked. A split second later, the gang kids ran past outside.**

**"I think we lost them," Grover panted.**

**A voice behind us boomed, "Lost who?"**

**We all jump**

**Standing behind us was a guy who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. He was at least seven feet tall, with absolutely no hair. He had gray, leathery skin, thick-lidded eyes, and a cold, reptilian smile. He moved toward us slowly, but I got the feeling he could move fast if he needed to.**

**His suit might've come from the Lotus Casino. It belonged back in the seventies, big-time. The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless chest. The lapels on his velvet jacket were as wide as landing strips. The silver chains around his neck—I couldn't even count them.**

**"I'm Crusty," he said, with a tartar-yellow smile.**

**I resisted the urge to say, Yes, you are.**

Everyone burst into laugher at this comment.

"Was he that bad?" Connor said, before laughing again.

"Yup!" Percy smirked.

**"Sorry to barge in," I told him. "We were just, um, browsing."**

**"You mean hiding from those no-good kids," he grumbled. "They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a water bed?"**

**I was about to say No, thanks,when he put a huge paw on my shoulder and steered me deeper into the showroom.**

**There was every kind of water bed you could imagine: different kinds of wood, different patterns of sheets; queen-size, king-size, emperor-of-the-universe-size.**

**"This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets, with built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated, so it looked like oil-flavored Jell-O.**

"Ewww!" Aphrodite made a face.

**"Million-hand massage," Crusty told us. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, any-way.**

**"Um," I said, "I don't think ..."**

**"Million-hand massage!" Grover cried, and dove in. "Oh, you guys! This is cool."**

Zeus snorted. "Yeah, he's such a good satyr, Hera!"

"Well most of the time!" Hera huffed.

**"Hmm," Crusty said, stroking his leathery chin. "Almost, almost."**

**"Almost what?" I asked.**

**He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favor and try this one over here, honey. Might fit."**

**Annabeth said, "But what—"**

**He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard-patterned comforter. When Annabeth didn't want to lie down, Crusty pushed her.**

Everyone was silent for a moment, than Connor carried on.

**"Hey!" she protested.**

**Crusty snapped his fingers. "Ergo!"**

**Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress.**

**Grover tried to get up, but ropes sprang from his black-satin bed, too, and lashed him down.**

Athena and Poseidon took a deep and startled breath.

"This doesn't sound too good." Connor whispered.

**"N-not c-c-cool!" he yelled, his voice vibrating from the million-hand massage. "N-not c-cool a-at all!"**

**The giant looked at Annabeth, then turned toward me and grinned. "Almost, darn it."**

**I tried to step away, but his hand shot out and clamped around the back of my neck. "Whoa, kid. Don't worry. We'll find you one in a sec."**

**"Let my friends go."**

**"Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first."**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them fit."**

"NONONONONO!" Athena panicked. "Not him…"

All the Olympians faces looked grim. They knew who she was talking about.

**Annabeth and Grover kept struggling.**

**"Can't stand imperfect measurements," Crusty muttered. "Ergo!"**

**A new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around Grover and Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling my friends from both ends.**

Thalia flinched. "Ouch…"

"Not a really good sight to see." Nico said.

"Doesn't feel good either." Annabeth added.

**"Don't worry," Crusty told me, "These are stretching jobs. Maybe three extra inches on their spines. They might even live. Now why don't we find a bed you like, huh?"**

**"Percy!" Grover yelled.**

**My mind was racing. I knew I couldn't take on this giant water-bed salesman alone. He would snap my neck before I ever got my sword out.**

**"Your real name's not Crusty, is it?" I asked.**

**"Legally, it's Procrustes," he admitted.**

**"The Stretcher," I said. I remembered the story: the giant who'd tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality on his way to Athens.**

**"Yeah," the salesman said. "But who can pronounce Procrustes?Bad for business. Now 'Crusty,' anybody can say that."**

**"You're right. It's got a good ring to it."**

**His eyes lit up. "You think so?"**

**"Oh, absolutely," I said. "And the workmanship on these beds? Fabulous!"**

"Flattery… That just may work." Athena said to herself.

**He grinned hugely, but his fingers didn't loosen on my neck. "I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in Lava Lamp headboards have you seen?"**

**"Not too many."**

**"That's right!"**

**"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "What are you doing?"**

**"Don't mind her," I told Procrustes. "She's impossible."**

**The giant laughed. "All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate. And then they complain about the fitting."**

**"What do you do if they're longer than six feet?"**

**"Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix."**

**He let go of my neck, but before I could react, he reached behind a nearby sales desk and brought out a huge double-bladed brass axe.**

"Oh gods…" Nico sputtered.

**He said, "I just center the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs over on either end."**

**"Ah," I said, swallowing hard. "Sensible."**

"Nasty!" Demeter almost gagged.

**"I'm so glad to come across an intelligent customer!"**

**The ropes were really stretching my friends now. Annabeth was turning pale. Grover made gurgling sounds, like a strangled goose.**

**"So, Crusty ..." I said, trying to keep my voice light. I glanced at the sales tag on the valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special. "Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?"**

**"Absolutely. Try it out."**

**"Yeah, maybe I will. But would it work even for a big guy like you? No waves at all?"**

**"Guaranteed."**

**"No way."**

**"Way."**

**"Show me."**

**He sat down eagerly on the bed, patted the mattress. "No waves. See?"**

**I snapped my fingers. "Ergo."**

"Nice job!" Connor said, Travis nodding his head.

Poseidon looked proud, while Athena grudgingly said "Nice."

Apollo smiled broadly.

**"You couldn't have done it faster?" Annabeth shivered, remembering being stretched to the limit.**

**Ropes lashed around Crusty and flattened him against the mattress.**

**"Hey!" he yelled.**

**"Center him just right," I said.**

**The ropes readjusted themselves at my command. Crusty's whole head stuck out the top. His feet stuck out the bottom.**

**"No!" he said. "Wait! This is just a demo."**

**I uncapped Riptide. "A few simple adjustments ..."**

**I had no qualms about what I was about to do. If Crusty were human, I couldn't hurt him anyway. If he was a monster, he deserved to turn into dust for a while.**

**"You drive a hard bargain," he told me. "I'll give you thirty percent off on selected floor models.'"**

**"I think I'll start with the top." I raised my sword.**

**"No money down! No interest for six months!"**

**I swung the sword. Crusty stopped making offers.**

Nico chuckled.

**I cut the ropes on the other beds. Annabeth and Grover got to their feet, groaning and wincing and cursing me a lot.**

**"Well, you could have done it a little faster," Grover grumbled.**

**"You look taller," I said.**

"I wonder why." Hephaestus sarcastically said.

Everyone laughed loudly.

**"Very funny," Annabeth said. "Be faster next time."**

**I looked at the bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. There was an advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service, and another for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters—"The only Monstrous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" Under that, a bright orange flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls. "We are always looking for new talent!" DOA's address was right underneath with a map.**

**"Come on," I told my friends.**

**"Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death.'"**

**"Then you're ready for the Underworld," I said. "It's only a block from here."**

"The end" Connor said.

"Close call…" Apollo said.

"Not really, compared to everything else." Percy smiled.

Most of them looked at Percy in shock and awe.

"Does this mean that Poseidon and Nico is going to have a lot more panic attacks?" Hermes innocently asked.

"I guess so." Percy said sheepishly. While looking at Nico, who looked like he was going to have a panic attack.

Broken out of his stupor, Connor asked "Who wants to read"

"I will" said Apollo


	20. Chapter 18

**"Annabeth Does Obedience School."** Apollo began.

Poseidon perked up fast. "No horrible and gruesome sounding title this time?"

Nico looked relieved at that.

Percy just shrugged while smiling.

"Who'd Annabeth teach? Was it Percy?" Connor laughed.

"I'm not a dog, for your information!" Percy indignantly said, crossing his arms.

"Are you sure?" Athena smiled, causing Percy to frown.

"We're just kidding" Travis said.

"Speak for yourself." Athena muttered.

"Harsh."

**We stood in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.**

**Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.**

"Huh… That is one awesome sign!" Apollo said.

"I wonder if I can put that sign on my bedroom door." Nico murmured.

"But than you wont be able to go in, unless you're dead." Percy smirked.

Nico faintly blushed as everyone laughed. "Oh… okay than nevermind."

**It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people. Behind the security desk sat a tough-looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.**

**I turned to my friends. "Okay. You remember the plan."**

"Remind me to never follow Percy's plans." Annabeth chuckled.

**Annabeth said, "What happens if the plan doesn't work?"**

**"Don't think negative."**

**"Right," she said. "We're entering the Land of the Dead, and I shouldn't think negative."**

**I took the pearls out of my pocket, the three milky spheres the Nereid had given me in Santa Monica. They didn't seem like much of a backup in case something went wrong.**

**Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. It'll be fine."**

**She gave Grover a nudge.**

**"Oh, right!" he chimed in. "We got this far. We'll find the master bolt and save your mom. No problem."**

**I looked at them both, and felt really grateful. Only a few minutes before, I'd almost gotten them stretched to death on deluxe water beds, and now they were trying to be brave for my sake, trying to make me feel better.**

**I slipped the pearls back in my pocket. "Let's whip some Underworld butt."**

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Thalia exclaimed.

"Hey! Let's not whip some Underworld butt." Hades mumbled.

**We walked inside the DOA lobby.**

**Music played softly on hidden speakers. The carpet and walls were steel gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken. There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine, but if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking ... transparent. I could see right through their bodies.**

**The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him.**

**He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.**

**I read the name tag, then looked at him in bewilderment. "Your name is Chiron?"**

Everyone snickered.

"You thought his name was Chiron?" Thalia cracked a smile.

"Dyslexia sucks." Was all Percy said.

**He leaned across the desk. I couldn't see anything in his glasses except my own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a pythons, right before it eats you.**

**"What a precious young lad." He had a strange accent—British, maybe, but also as if he had learned English as a second language. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"**

**"An insult to Chiron." Annabeth muttered under her breath.**

**"N-no."**

**"Sir," he added smoothly.**

**"Sir," I said.**

**He pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, mate? It says C-H-A-R-O-N. Say it with me: CARE-ON."**

**"Charon."**

**"Amazing! Now: Mr. Charon."**

**"Mr. Charon," I said.**

**"Well done." He sat back. "I hate being confused with that old horse-man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?"**

**His question caught in my stomach like a fastball. I looked at Annabeth for support.**

**"We want to go the Underworld," she said.**

**Charon's mouth twitched. "Well, that's refreshing."**

**"It is?" she asked.**

**"Straight forward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon.' "He looked us over. "How did you die, then?"**

**I nudged Grover.**

**"Oh," he said. "Um ... drowned ... in the bathtub."**

Many of the Olympians burst into laughter at this statement.

"Worst liar ever!" Hermes exclaimed.

"Someone needs to teach him..." Connor looked at his brother.

"We will!" Connor and Travis said simultaneously.

**"All three of you?" Charon asked. We nodded.**

**"Big bathtub." Charon looked mildly impressed.**

"Oh my gods, what a huge bathtub!" Connor exclaimed. "I want one…"

"Than you can play with your ducky and make a soap castle!" Travis laughed.

"Annabeth can help you design the perfect castle." Nico added.

Connor frowned, glaring at Travis and Nico.

"Ugh, Charon is not the brightest crayon in the box." Annabeth made a funny face.

"Am I smarter than him?" Percy asked.

"For once, I think so."

"Yay!" Percy cheered.

"I don't think that's a really great accomplishment" Thalia mentioned.

**"I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children ... alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you'll have to take a seat for a few centuries."**

**"Oh, but we have coins." I set three golden drachmas on the counter, part of the stash I'd found in Crusty's office desk.**

**"Well, now ..." Charon moistened his lips. "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven't seen these in ..."**

**His fingers hovered greedily over the coins.**

**We were so close.**

**Then Charon looked at me. That cold stare behind his glasses seemed to bore a hole through my chest.**

**"I think he found out…"**

"Aww… And you were so close!" Apollo said.

"You can never get a break, can you…" Poseidon smiled sadly.

**"Here now," he said. "You couldn't read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?"**

**"No," I said. "I'm dead."**

"You just gave yourself away…" Connor shook his head disappointedly.

"Oh well, excuse me for not being a Hermes kid." Percy said.

**Charon leaned forward and took a sniff. "You're not dead. I should've known. You're a godling."**

**"We have to get to the Underworld," I insisted.**

**Charon made a growling sound deep in his throat.**

**Immediately, all the people in the waiting room got up and started pacing, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running hands through their hair, or checking their wristwatches.**

**"Leave while you can," Charon told us. "I'll just take these and forget I saw you."**

**He started to go for the coins, but I snatched them back.**

**"No service, no tip." I tried to sound braver than I felt.**

**Charon growled again—a deep, blood-chilling sound. The spirits of the dead started pounding on the elevator doors.**

**"It's a shame, too," I sighed. "We had more to offer."**

"Atleast your not completely hopeless." Travis added.

**I held up the entire bag from Crusty's stash. I took out a fistful of drachmas and let the coins spill through my fingers.**

**Charon's growl changed into something more like a lion's purr. "Do you think I can be bought, godling?**

"Yeah!" the room chorused.

**Eh ... just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?"**

**"A lot," I said. "I bet Hades doesn't pay you well enough for such hard work."**

**"Oh, you don't know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always 'Please don't let me be dead' or 'Please let me across for free.' I haven't had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"**

**"You deserve better," I agreed. "A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay."**

**With each word, I stacked another gold coin on the counter.**

"I take that back, your pretty good at this!"

"Thank you!" Percy grinned.

**Charon glanced down at his silk Italian jacket, as if imagining himself in something even better. "I must say, lad, you're making some sense now. Just a little."**

**I stacked another few coins. "I could mention a pay raise while I'm talking to Hades."**

**He sighed. "The boat's almost full, anyway. I might as well add you three and be off."**

**He stood, scooped up our money, and said, "Come along."**

**We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who started grabbing at our clothes like the wind, their voices whispering things I couldn't make out. Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders."**

**He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.**

"It sucks that the dead stay there for centuries, just waiting to go to the underworld." Nico sighed.

Hades shrugged. "The underworld is really full..."

**"I'll have to remember to tell everyone I know to always keep a coin in their pocket." Percy said.**

**"Right. Now, no one get any ideas while I'm gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy-listening station again, I'll make sure you're here for another thousand years. Understand?"**

"Someone is a little cranky…" Apollo said.

**He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend.**

**"What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?" Annabeth asked.**

**"Nothing," Charon said.**

**"For how long?"**

**"Forever, or until I'm feeling generous."**

"Ha, basically forever, than." Thalia snorted.

**"Oh," she said. "That's ... fair."**

**Charon raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it's your turn. You'll die soon enough, where you're going."**

**"We'll get out alive," I said.**

**"Ha."**

**I got a sudden dizzy feeling. We weren't going down anymore, but forward. The air turned misty. Spirits around me started changing shape. Their modern clothes flickered, turning into gray hooded robes. The floor of the elevator began swaying.**

**I blinked hard. When I opened my eyes, Charon's creamy Italian suit had been replaced by a long black robe. His tortoiseshell glasses were gone. Where his eyes should've been were empty sockets—like Ares's eyes, except Charon's were totally dark, full of night and death and despair.**

**Annabeth involuntarily shivered.**

**He saw me looking, and said, "Well?"**

**"Nothing," I managed.**

**I thought he was grinning, but that wasn't it. The flesh of his face was becoming transparent, letting me see straight through to his skull.**

**The floor kept swaying.**

**Grover said, "I think I'm getting seasick."**

**When I blinked again, the elevator wasn't an elevator anymore. We were standing in a wooden barge. Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river, swirling with bones, dead fish, and other, stranger things—plastic dolls, crushed car nations, soggy diplomas with gilt edges.**

"The River Styx." Nico said.

"Ah, bad memories there…" Percy scowled.

"Why, what happened?" Poseidon asked.

"Things…"

**"The River Styx," Annabeth murmured. "It's so ..."**

**"Polluted," Charon said. "For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across—hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me."**

**Mist curled off the filthy water. Above us, almost lost in the gloom, was a ceiling of stalactites. Ahead, the far shore glimmered with greenish light, the color of poison.**

**Panic closed up my throat. What was I doing here? These people around me ... they were dead.**

**Annabeth grabbed hold of my hand.**

**Under normal circumstances, this would've embarrassed me, but I understood how she felt. She wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive on this boat.**

Nico glared at Annabeth at that.

**I found myself muttering a prayer, though I wasn't quite sure who I was praying to. Down here, only one god mattered, and he was the one I had come to confront.**

**The shoreline of the Underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about a hundred yards to the base of a high stone wall, which marched off in either direction as far as we could see. A sound came from somewhere nearby in the green gloom, echoing off the stones—the howl of a large animal.**

**"Old Three-Face is hungry," Charon said. His smile turned skeletal in the greenish light. "Bad luck for you, godlings."**

"Cereberus!" Annabeth and Nico perked up.

"He's such a cute doggy!" Annabeth smiled fondly.

"Yeah…" Nico agreed.

**The bottom of our boat slid onto the black sand. The dead began to disembark. A woman holding a little girl's hand. An old man and an old woman hobbling along arm in arm. A boy no older than I was, shuffling silently along in his gray robe.**

**Charon said, "I'd wish you luck, mate, but there isn't any down here. Mind you, don't forget to mention my pay raise."**

**He counted our golden coins into his pouch, then took up his pole. He warbled something that sounded like a Barry Manilow song as he ferried the empty barge back across the river.**

**We followed the spirits up a well-worn path.**

**I'm not sure what I was expecting—Pearly Gates,**

Everyone looked at Percy incredulously.

"Pearly gates?" Thalia laughed.

"Pearly gates!" Thalia repeated.

"Yes! Don't blame me for having such a creative imagination." Percy said.

**or a big black portcullis, or something. But the entrance to the Underworld looked like a cross between airport security and the Jersey Turnpike.**

**There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS. Each entrance had a pass-through metal detector with security cameras mounted on top. Beyond this were tollbooths manned by black-robed ghouls like Charon.**

**The howling of the hungry animal was really loud now, but I couldn't see where it was coming from. The three-headed dog, Cerberus, who was supposed to guard Hades's door, was nowhere to be seen.**

"You couldn't see a massive dog?" Travis asked.

"There was a lot of dead people and mist." Percy defended himself.

**The dead queued up in the three lines, two marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY, and one marked EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was moving right along. The other two were crawling.**

**"What do you figure?" I asked Annabeth.**

**"The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel Fields," she said. "No contest. They don't want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."**

**"There's a court for dead people?"**

**"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos,**

Nico considerably darkened at that name. He remembered him from the Labyrinth, and was still mad. No one noticed the scowl on Nico except for Annabeth and Percy, who both look worried. Percy then grabbed his arms around him after pulling him in his lap.

**Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare—people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward—the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Asphodel Fields."**

**"And do what?"**

**Grover said, "Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas. Forever."**

Lots of people groaned, or scowled at the thought.

"Boring!" Connor stuck out his tongue.

**"Harsh," I said.**

**"Not as harsh as that," Grover muttered. "Look."**

**A couple of black-robbed ghouls had pulled aside one spirit and were frisking him at the security desk. The face of the dead man looked vaguely familiar.**

**"He's that preacher who made the news, remember?" Grover asked.**

**"Oh, yeah." I did remember now. We'd seen him on TV a couple of times at the Yancy Academy dorm. He was this annoying televangelist from upstate New York who'd raised millions of dollars for orphanages and then got caught spending the money on stuff for his mansion, like gold-plated toilet seats, and an indoor putt-putt golf course. He'd died in a police chase when his "Lamborghini for the Lord" went off a cliff.**

"What a disgusting man. He's as bad as smelly Gabe!" Aphrodite sneered.

"I think worse." Percy said.

"How heartless" Annabeth added.

**I said, "What're they doing to him?"**

**"Special punishment from Hades," Grover guessed. "The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fur—the Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him."**

**The thought of the Furies made me shudder. I realized I was in their home territory now. Old Mrs. Dodds would be licking her lips with anticipation.**

"What a creepy thought" Hera shuddered.

**"But if he's a preacher," I said, "and he believes in a different hell..."**

**Grover shrugged. "Who says he's seeing this place the way we're seeing it? Humans see what they want to see. You're very stubborn—er, persistent, that way."**

**We got closer to the gates. The howling was so loud now it shook the ground at my feet, but I still couldn't figure out where it was coming from.**

**Then, about fifty feet in front of us, the green mist shimmered. Standing just where the path split into three lanes was an enormous shadowy monster.**

**I hadn't seen it before because it was half transparent, like the dead. Until it moved, it blended with whatever was behind it. Only its eyes and teeth looked solid. And it was staring straight at me.**

**My jaw hung open. All I could think to say was, "He's a Rottweiler."**

Everyone laughed.

"Nice thinking…" Travis tried to stop laughing, but failed.

**I'd always imagined Cerberus as a big black mastiff. But he was obviously a purebred Rottweiler, except of course that he was twice the size of a woolly mammoth, mostly invisible, and had three heads.**

**The dead walked right up to him—no fear at all. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his belly, which they could do without even crouching.**

**"I'm starting to see him better," I muttered. "Why is that?"**

**"I think ..." Annabeth moistened her lips. "I'm afraid it's because we're getting closer to being dead."**

"Huh?" Connor and Travis said together.

**The dog's middle head craned toward us. It sniffed the air and growled.**

**"It can smell the living," I said.**

**"But that's okay," Grover said, trembling next to me. "Because we have a plan."**

**"Right," Annabeth said. I'd never heard her voice sound quite so small. "A plan."**

**We moved toward the monster.**

**The middle head snarled at us, then barked so loud my eyeballs rattled.**

**"Can you understand it?" I asked Grover.**

**"Oh yeah," he said. "I can understand it."**

**"What's it saying?"**

**"I don't think humans have a four-letter word that translates, exactly."**

**I took the big stick out of my backpack—a bedpost I'd broken off Crusty's Safari Deluxe floor model. I held it up, and tried to channel happy dog thoughts toward Cerberus—Alpo commercials, cute little pup pies, fire hydrants. I tried to smile, like I wasn't about to die.**

**"Hey, Big Fella," I called up. "I bet they don't play with you much."**

"That's your plan? Good luck!" Thalia said.

**"GROWWWLLLL!"**

**"Good boy," I said weakly.**

**I waved the stick. The dog's middle head followed the movement. The other two heads trained their eyes on me, completely ignoring the spirits. I had Cerberus's undivided attention. I wasn't sure that was a good thing.**

**"Fetch!" I threw the stick into the gloom, a good solid throw. I heard it go ker-sploosh in the River Styx.**

"I don't think he's really in the mood to go swimming in the Styx." Nico said.

"Well it isn't fun swimming in the Styx either." Percy added.

"What do you mean by that?" Dionysus incredulously asked, yawning.

"Woah! You were actually paying attention?" a surprised Percy asked.

**Cerberus glared at me, unimpressed. His eyes were baleful and cold.**

**So much for the plan.**

**Cerberus was now making a new kind of growl, deeper down in his three throats.**

**"Um," Grover said. "Percy?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"I just thought you'd want to know."**

**"Yeah?"**

**"Cerberus? He's saying we've got ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice. After that... well ... he's hungry."**

**"Wait!" Annabeth said. She started rifling through her pack.**

**Uh-oh, I thought.**

**"Five seconds," Grover said. "Do we run now?"**

**Annabeth produced a red rubber ball the size of a grapefruit. It was labeled WATERLAND, DENVER, CO. Before I could stop her, she raised the ball and marched straight up to Cerberus.**

**She shouted, "See the ball? You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!"**

**Cerberus looked as stunned as we were.**

**All three of his heads cocked sideways. Six nostrils dilated.**

**"Sit!" Annabeth called again.**

**I was sure that any moment she would become the world's largest Milkbone dog biscuit.**

**But instead, Cerberus licked his three sets of lips, shifted on his haunches, and sat,**

"WOAH!" Connor and Travis yelled.

Everyone was surprised. They didn't think it would actually work.

"Nice going Annie!" Thalia high-fived Annabeth.

**immediately crushing a dozen spirits who'd been passing underneath him in the EZ DEATH line. The spirits made muffled hisses as they dissipated, like the air let out of tires.**

"Poor spirits" Nico murmured. "Aw well, they'll live."

Realising what he just said, he quickly said "I mean they'll be fine." And blushed at the smirk Percy gave him.

Everyone snickered at the comment.

**Annabeth said, "Good boy!"**

**She threw Cerberus the ball.**

**He caught it in his middle mouth. It was barely big enough for him to chew, and the other heads started snap ping at the middle, trying to get the new toy.**

**"Drop it.'" Annabeth ordered.**

**Cerberus's heads stopped fighting and looked at her. The ball was wedged between two of his teeth like a tiny piece of gum. He made a loud, scary whimper, then dropped the ball, now slimy and bitten nearly in half, at Annabeth's feet.**

"Cute… Well kind of." Aphrodite said.

**"Good boy." She picked up the ball, ignoring the monster spit all over it.**

**She turned toward us. "Go now. EZ DEATH line—it's faster."**

**I said, "But—"**

**"Now.'" She ordered, in the same tone she was using on the dog.**

**Grover and I inched forward warily.**

Mostly everyone laughed.

"Whipped." Thalia grinned.

"You were already listening to her back then." Connor and Travis laughed.

"Annabeth can be really scary sometimes." Percy said, earning a light punch from Annabeth. Earning a glare from Nico.

"Though probably not as scary as Nico, when he's furious"

**Cerberus started to growl.**

**"Stay!" Annabeth ordered the monster. "If you want the ball, stay!"**

**Cerberus whimpered, but he stayed where he was.**

**"What about you?" I asked Annabeth as we passed her.**

**"I know what I'm doing, Percy," she muttered. "At least, I'm pretty sure..."**

**Grover and I walked between the monster's legs.**

**Please, Annabeth, I prayed. Don't tell him to sit again.**

At this statement, everyone burst out laughing again.

"That would be really bad. Grover and I would have to scrape you off the floor." Annabeth teased.

"That would also be a pretty pathetic way to die. Percy Jackson slays a minotaur and a kindly one, only to be crushed to death by a dog's bottom." Percy grinned.

**We made it through. Cerberus wasn't any less scary-looking from the back.**

**Annabeth said, "Good dog!"**

**She held up the tattered red ball, and probably came to the same conclusion I did—if she rewarded Cerberus, there'd be nothing left for another trick.**

**She threw the ball anyway. The monster's left mouth immediately snatched it up, only to be attacked by the middle head, while the right head moaned in protest.**

**While the monster was distracted, Annabeth walked briskly under its belly and joined us at the metal detector.**

**"How did you do that?" I asked her, amazed.**

**"Obedience school," she said breathlessly, and I was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes.**

"Annabeth is crying?" Nico's eyes widened.

"When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman... ."

**"Never mind that," Grover said, tugging at my shirt. "Come on!"**

**We were about to bolt through the EZ DEATH line when Cerberus moaned pitifully from all three mouths. Annabeth stopped.**

**She turned to face the dog, which had done a one-eighty to look at us.**

**Cerberus panted expectantly, the tiny red ball in pieces in a puddle of drool at its feet.**

**"Good boy," Annabeth said, but her voice sounded melancholy and uncertain.**

**The monster's heads turned sideways, as if worried about her.**

All the goddesses in the room looked sad.

**"I'll bring you another ball soon," Annabeth promised faintly. "Would you like that?"**

**The monster whimpered. I didn't need to speak dog to know Cerberus was still waiting for the ball.**

**"Good dog. I'll come visit you soon. I—I promise." Annabeth turned to us. "Let's go."**

**Grover and I pushed through the metal detector, which immediately screamed and set off flashing red lights. "Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!"**

**Cerberus started to bark.**

**We burst through the EZ DEATH gate, which started even more alarms blaring, and raced into the Underworld.**

**A few minutes later, we were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies.**

**Grover murmured, "Well, Percy, what have we learned today?"**

**"That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?"**

"That would be a very useful lesson." Apollo grinned.

**"No," Grover told me. "We've learned that your plans really, really bite!"**

"Duh!" everyone agreed.

"Hey!" Percy pouted.

**"Everyone should already know not to listen as soon as you hear 'Percy' and 'plan' in the same sentence." Thalia laughed.**

"My plans aren't that bad… are they?" Percy asked uncertainly.

"You keep thinking that…" Annabeth said.

"Eh, I guess they didn't kill anyone yet, so they're not half bad." Nico grinned.

"Good to know someone likes my ideas."

"Hey, hold up. I didn't say I liked them. I just said they weren't bad."

**I wasn't sure about that. I thought maybe Annabeth and I had both had the right idea. Even here in the Underworld, everybody—even monsters—needed a little attention once in a while.**

**I thought about that as we waited for the ghouls to pass. I pretended not to see Annabeth wipe a tear from her cheek as she listened to the mournful keening of Cerberus in the distance, longing for his new friend.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Travis said.

"Who wants to read next?"


	21. Chapter 19

AN: btw, Nico knows all about Percy's adventures, since he told him after the 2nd Titan's War, when they started dating.

* * *

"Who wants to read next?" Annabeth asked.

"Who hasn't read yet?" Percy said.

No one put their hands up.

"Nico, read." Percy chose, taking the book from Travis and throwing it to Nico, who caught it easily.

"Fine, I might as well get it over with." Nico grumbled, turning the book to the right page.

**"We Find out the Truth, Sort of,"**Nico read.

Thalia looked amused. "Sort of?"

**Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a foot ball field packed with a million fans.**

**Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.**

"Man, that sounds really boring!" Travis said.

**If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like. The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees—Grover told me they were poplars—grew in clumps here and there.**

**The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might've been a bank of storm clouds, except for the stalactites, which glowed faint gray and looked wickedly pointed. I tried not to imagine they'd fall on us at any moment, but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass. I guess the dead didn't have to worry about little hazards like being speared by stalactites the size of booster rockets.**

**Annabeth, Grover, and I tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. I couldn't help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel,**

"Why were you looking for familiar faces?" Nico asked.

Percy shrugged. "Force of habit, I guess."

No one questioned any further.

**but the dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you can't understand them, they frown and move away.**

"Oh you wish you can understand them like I do." Nico said smugly.

"Well, at least I can control water!" Percy argued.

"Lightning owns all!" Thalia exclaimed, Zeus nodding his head proudly.

Travis snorted. "Stealing stuff is faster than using force."

"And easier. No one would suspect a thing!" Connor added.

"Brains beat all." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Ah no, your all wrong!" Apollo interjected. "Music is what gives inspiration. It is stronger than anything. Don't forget about sunlight! Aren't I just so positive, i'm practically radiating brightness!"

"No," almost everyone said in unison.

"Well, technically he is considering he's the sun god." Annabeth stated, Athena nodding her head.

"Hey, has anyone noticed how Apollo is the only god joining this argument?"

Nico laughed. "It's because he has no one here to defend his honor. Everyone else just doesn't care."

"Oh please stop this torture!" Dionysus complained, startling everyone.

"Oh woops, we forgot you were here!" Thalia exclaimed.

Nico began to read, preventing the long argument to continue.

**The dead aren't scary. They're just sad.**

"How depressing. They are the perfect friends for you, Nico!" Travis goofed around.

"Well, at least they listen to my commands!" Nico indignantly sighed. Putting his head on Perce's shoulder.

**We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates toward a black-tented pavilion with a banner that read:**

**JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION**

**Welcome, Newly Deceased!**

"Elysium must be awesome. I hope to be there someday." Connor murmured.

All the demigods looked at him hopelessly.

"Of course you'll automatically go there after you die, considering you helped in the war." Annabeth noted.

**Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.**

**To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas. Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music.**

"Ya know, all those sound really interesting!" Connor said.

"Except for listening to opera." Travis added.

**I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant-size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too—things I don't want to describe.**

**The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down toward a small valley surrounded by walls—a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and medieval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.**

All the demigods thought dreamily about Elysium. It seemed like such a nice place to be after the whole war and suffering.

**Elysium.**

**In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately I knew that's where I wanted to go when I died.**

"That's where everyone wants to go…" Nico sighed.

**"That's the place for heroes."**

**But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to the Fields of Asphodel or even the Fields of Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.**

"It's true…" Demeter said sadly.

**We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into the Asphodel Fields. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.**

**After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark batlike creatures: the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.**

**"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully.**

"Oh come on, Grover! Your best friend Percy won't let anything happen to you!" Connor said to the book.

"Has everyone gone crazy these days? Why talk to the book when it can't hear you…" Percy muttered.

"We'll never know!" Thalia said dramatically.

"Like father like daughter," Poseidon laughed.

**"We'll be okay." I tried to sound confident.**

**"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance …"**

**"Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm.**

**Grover yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.**

**"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."**

"Huh? I doubt Grover would mess around in the Underworld." Thalia said.

**"But I didn't—"**

**He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from us.**

**"Maia!"he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. "Maia,already! Nine-one-one! Help!"**

"Nine-one-one?" everyone laughed.

"Don't think they're going to help you there!" Hermes chimed in.

**I got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late. He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.**

**We ran after him.**

**Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"**

**It was a smart idea, but I guess it's not so easy when your shoes are pulling you along feet first at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he couldn't get close to the laces.**

**We kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he ripped between the legs of spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.**

**I was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades's palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.**

**The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. Annabeth and I had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.**

"Oh man, what's going on?" Poseidon asked.

No one answered. Nico started to go paler than usual.

**"Grover!" I yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"**

**"What?" he yelled back.**

**He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.**

**The tunnel got darker and colder. The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I shouldn't even know about—blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.**

**Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.**

**The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.**

**Grover was sliding straight toward the edge.**

**"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at my wrist.**

**"But that's—"**

**"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him." She was right, of course. Grover's predicament got me moving again.**

**He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him toward the pit, and it didn't look like we could possibly get to him in time.**

**What saved him were his hooves.**

**The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to slow himself down by grabbing on to the big rock and using it like an anchor.**

"Oh thank gods…" Thalia whispered.

"You're welcome," Apollo said, causing everyone to roll their eyes.

"Mature, will you." Artemis scolded.

"Never!" Apollo mocked.

"Your way older than them," Artemis gestured to the demigods, "and still you act like a 5 year old! Grow up, it's disturbing."

"You're disturbing," Apollo retorted.

"You know what's disturbing?" Hades interrupted.

"What?" Apollo asked.

"You two and you're bickering! Just shut up and let us read the dang book!" Hades snapped.

**He was ten feet from the edge of the pit when we caught him and hauled him back up the slope. The other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.**

"Huh, I wouldn't have jumped in Tartarus just to be with my twin," Artemis frowned at Apollo.

"My shoes shouldn't behave like that," Hermes frowned. "It must've been tampered with."

"No really…" Percy stated.

**We all collapsed, exhausted, on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks.**

Annabeth and Percy looked knowingly at each other.

**Grover was scratched up pretty bad. His hands were bleeding. His eyes had gone slit-pupiled, goat style, the way they did whenever he was terrified.**

"It's hilarious when he does that!" Travis and Connor laughed.

**"I don't know how ..." he panted. "I didn't..."**

**"Wait," I said. "Listen."**

**I heard something—a deep whisper in the darkness.**

**Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Percy, this place—"**

**"Shh." I stood.**

**The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.**

**Grover sat up. "Wh—what's that noise?"**

**Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." I uncapped Anaklusmos.**

Lots of people shivered involuntarily.

**The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.**

**I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if ...**

**"Magic," I said.**

**"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said.**

**Together, we dragged Grover to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. My legs wouldn't move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down.**

"Why would your backpack weigh you down? It's not like you added anything to it." Athena questioned.

"Maybe we did." Percy said smartly.

"No you did not," Athena rolled her eyes. "We would have known since this is your thoughts."

"Oh…"

**The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run.**

**Not a moment too soon.**

**A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, I lost ground, my feet slipping in the gravel. If we'd been any closer to the edge, we would've been sucked in.**

**We kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel. Something was not happy we'd gotten away.**

**"What was that?" Grover panted, when we'dcollapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades's pets?"**

Nico snorted. "That would be one scary pet. And that's me saying that!"

"If it were a pet, it would not be in a deep chasm." Hades added.

**Annabeth and I looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she'd gotten during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it. That was enough to terrify me.**

**I capped my sword, put the pen back in my pocket. "Let's keep going." I looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"**

**He swallowed. "Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway."**

**He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and I were. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Even Echidna hadn't given me that feeling. I was almost relieved to turn my back on that tunnel and head toward the palace of Hades.**

**Almost.**

**The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open.**

**Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times—an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask-wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls—but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true.**

"Huh…" Nico murmured.

**Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues— petrified children, satyrs, and centaurs—all smiling grotesquely.**

Everyone glanced at Hades.

Hades just shrugged innocently. "Not me, Persephone."

The gods nodded their heads, understanding.

**In the center of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."**

**I understood why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave.**

"He could always use some company." Hera smiled wickedly.

"Creepy!" Connor and Travis shivered.

"You just want to get rid of us…" Annabeth rolled his eyes.

"Uh No! I do not need any more little kids running around. The Underworld is not a daycare centre. It's supposed to be frightening most of the time!" Hades huffed.

**I pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.**

"Good. I don't need a satyr in the Underworld, nor ever do I want one." Hades said.

**We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico, and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. I guess they never had to worry about rain down here.**

**Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armor, some British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M-16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, toward the big set of doors at the opposite end.**

**Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket-propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.**

**"You know," Grover mumbled, "I bet Hades doesn't have trouble with door-to-door salesmen."**

**My backpack weighed a ton now.**

"Seriously, what's with the mentioning of the backpack." Thalia exclaimed.

"Be patient, young grasshopper." Percy said, trying to be serious.

A moment later, everyone laughed.

"Something is up," Apollo muttered.

"Yeah, the roof." Nico pointed out. Trying to make a, even though he knew what was in the backpack.

"No, I mean something is wrong about the backpack!" Apollo sighed.

"Well, they will reveal it later on." Hephaestus said patiently.

**I couldn't figure out why. I wanted to open it, check to see if I had somehow picked up a stray bowling ball, but this wasn't the time.**

Nico snorted. "Yes, you would totally accidentally pick up a bowling ball without knowing it!"

**"Well, guys," I said. "I suppose we should ... knock?"**

**A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.**

**"I guess that means entrez-vous,"Annabeth said.**

**The room inside looked just like in my dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied.**

**He was the third god I'd met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.**

"Thank you. I am godlike aren't I?" Hades chuckled darkly.

"HEY, WATCH WHAT YOURE SAYING PUNK!" Ares growled.

"Yeah, I agree with the war dude," Dionysus said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This coming from the guy tricking me into a trap for gods! Next time, if you want respect, show it first! " Percy retorted.

"WHY YOU…" Ares stood up, only to be sprayed with salt water.

"Ares, don't mess around." Poseidon said threateningly. "Carry on."

**He was at least ten feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He wasn't bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther.**

**I immediately felt like he should be giving the orders. He knew more than I did. He should be my master.**

"Yes, I should be." Hades murmured.

**Then I told myself to snap out of it.**

**Hades's aura was affecting me, just as Ares's had. The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.**

Everyone looked at Hades.

"I am not evil, though!" Hades protested.

"Yeah, sure…" Percy said uncertainly.

"I agree with dad. He may be a little cruel, but he's not evil!" Nico huffed.

"Doesn't cruel and evil mean the same thing?" Connor asked.

**"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."**

"What a great conversation starter." Hermes mused.

**Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades's feet. Curl up here and sleep forever.**

All the demigods snickered.

"You make me imagine dogs…" Thalia laughed.

"Oh Haha." Percy said monotonously

**I fought the feeling and stepped forward. I knew what I had to say. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."**

"I don't think it's really a good idea to start with demands," Apollo suggested.

"Would have been really great to have that advice before…" Percy said.

**Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades's underwear?**

Everyone suddenly laughed at this, except for Hades. He sat there on his throne glaring at Percy.

"Very good question!" Apollo said between laughs.

"Indeed," Hermes agreed.

"Bleh, that would be torture!" Poseidon realized.

"Stop insulting me!" Hades grumbled.

**"Only two requests?" Hades said. "Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."**

**I swallowed. This was going about as well as I'd feared.**

**I glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. I wished Queen Persephone were here. I recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods.**

When Nico heard Persephone's name, he crossed his arms and scowled.

**But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the planet, create the seasons.**

**Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.**

**"Lord Hades," I said. "Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be ... bad."**

**"Really bad," Grover added helpfully.**

"Or really good." Ares snickered.

**"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," I said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."**

"You know, I would not have let you have it, even if I had it." Hades said.

"Why?" Percy whined.

"Because you are annoying."

That shut Percy up. Nico laughed at his expression.

**Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?"**

**I glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as I was.**

**"Um ... Uncle," I said. "You keep saying 'after what you've done.' What exactly have I done?"**

**The throne room shook with a tremor so strong, they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.**

**Hades bellowed, "Do you think I wantwar, godling?"**

**I wanted to say, Well, these guys don't look like peace activists.**

Several people laughed.

"It's true…" Percy muttered.

**But I thought that might be a dangerous answer.**

**"You are the Lord of the Dead," I said carefully. "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"**

"A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"

"Well..."

**"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?"**

**I opened my mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.**

**"More security ghouls," he moaned. "Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"**

**"Charon wants a pay raise," I blurted, just remembering the fact.**

"What would you say that now!" Thalia groaned.

"Didn't want to forget. And since we were on the budget talk, might as well bring it up." Percy chuckled.

**As soon as I said it, I wished I could sew up my mouth.**

**"Don't get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. No,godling. I need no help getting subjects! I did not ask for this war."**

**"But you took Zeus's master bolt."**

Hades growled while Nico glared.

**"Lies!" More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."**

**"His plan?"**

**"You were the thief on the winter solstice," he said. "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus, You took the master bolt and my helmet.**

"HELMET?" Everyone except Percy and Annabeth yelled, especially Hades.

"WHAT, WHO STOLE MY HELMET, I WILL OBLITERATE THEM!" Hades' voice shook Olympus.

"Have you noticed that Poseidon is the only one that didn't get anything stolen?" Annabeth noted. "No offense, just curious."

"Yeah, that's weird…"

Some people looked at Poseidon and Percy.

"You guys don't actually think I stole it…" Percy trailed off.

"Nah, just adding the effects!" Apollo and Hermes laughed.

"MY HELMET!" Hades panicked.

"This didn't happen yet, and it all worked out fine anyways." Poseidon tried to sooth Hades.

Hades looked murderous, but sat back down.

**Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!"**

**"But ..." Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. "Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?"**

**"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt—to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"**

"No!" I said. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"

**"I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance," Hades snarled, "because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing.**

"That is true. No one would have help Hades just because he is not part of the Olympian council." Percy looked at all the gods square in the eye, making them feel guilty. Except maybe Dionysus and Ares, of course.

**So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."**

**"You didn't try to stop us? But—"**

**"Return my helmet now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades."**

Poseidon scowled.

**The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.**

**At that point, I probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, I felt offended. Nothing gets me angrier than being accused of something I didn't do. I've had a lot of experience with that.**

**"You're as bad as Zeus," I said. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"**

**"Of course," Hades said.**

**"And the other monsters?"**

**Hades curled his lip. "I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you—I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"**

**"Easily?"**

"Well I guess you didn't die, so count that as easy." Nico chuckled.

"Sounded hard to me…" Thalia said.

"It was hard too!" Annabeth huffed.

**"Return my property!"**

**"But I don't have your helmet. I came for the master bolt."**

**"Which you already possess!" Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could you threaten me!"**

"OH!" Athena yelled, standing up. "THE BOLT IS IN THE BACKPACK. THAT IS WHY HE MENTIONED THE BACKPACK BECOMING HEAVY!"

There were a lot of "oh" in the rooms.

"My lightning bolt!" Zeus said excitedly.

**"But I didn't!"**

**"Open your pack, then."**

"How did the bolt go in there without Percy knowing though?" Athena talked to herself.

**A horrible feeling struck me. The weight in my backpack, like a bowling ball. It couldn't be...**

**I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped was a two-foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.**

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "How—"**

**"I—I don't know. I don't understand."**

**"You heroes are always the same," Hades said. "Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now ... my helmet. Where is it?"**

**I was speechless. I had no helm. I had no idea how the master bolt had gotten into my backpack. I wanted to think Hades was pulling some kind of trick. Hades was the bad guy.**

"I am not bad!" Hades growled.

"We all understand that now!" Percy said.

**But suddenly the world turned sideways. I realized I'd been played with. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else. The master bolt had been in the backpack, and I'd gotten the backpack from ...**

**"Lord Hades, wait," I said. "This is all a mistake."**

**"A mistake?" Hades roared.**

**The skeletons aimed their weapons. From high above, there was a fluttering of leathery wings, and the three Furies swooped down to perch on the back of their master's throne. The one with Mrs. Dodds's face grinned at me eagerly and flicked her whip.**

**"There is no mistake," Hades said. "I know why you have come—I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."**

**Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of me, and there was my mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.**

"Sally!" Poseidon couldn't help but yell, making a lot of the goddesses smile.

"Mom," Percy smiled.

**I couldn't speak. I reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.**

**"Yes," Hades said with satisfaction. "I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."**

**I thought about the pearls in my pocket. Maybe they could get me out of this. If I could just get my mom free...**

**"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, and my blood froze.**

"Ahh noo… Your last chance!" Travis said.

**"Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."**

**My hand moved against my will and brought out the pearls.**

**"Only three," Hades said. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."**

"Man, that's gotta be one of the hardest decisions ever." Nico shook his head.

"Especially because your loyal," Annabeth said.

**I looked at Annabeth and Grover. Their faces were grim.**

**"We were tricked," I told them. "Set up."**

"Duhh…"

**"Yes, but why?" Annabeth asked. "And the voice in the pit—"**

**"I don't know yet," I said. "But I intend to ask."**

**"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.**

**"Percy." Grover put his hand on my shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt,"**

**"I know that."**

**"Leave me here," he said. "Use the third pearl on your mom."**

"See, that satyr isn't all bad!" Hestia said.

**"No!"**

**"I'm a satyr," Grover said. "We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way."**

**"No." Annabeth drew her bronze knife. "You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."**

Athena bit her lip, trying not to say anything.

**"No way," Grover said. "I'm staying behind."**

**"Think again, goat boy," Annabeth said.**

"Maybe you guys should hurry up and decide before Hades blast you…" Apollo said in a sing-song voice.

**"Stop it, both of you!" I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. I remembered Grover dive-bombing Medusa in the statue garden, and Annabeth saving us from Cerberus; we'd survived Hephaestus's Waterland ride, the St. Louis Arch, the Lotus Casino. I had spent thousands of miles worried that I'd be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that.**

"That's true," Annabeth said back. "We all know you would give up the world to save a friend."

Almost everyone nodded in agreement, well those who knew Percy.

**They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives for my mom.**

**"I know what to do," I said. "Take these."**

**I handed them each a pearl.**

**Annabeth said, "But, Percy ..."**

**I turned and faced my mother. I desperately wanted to sacrifice myself and use the last pearl on her, but I knew what she would say. She would never allow it. I had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell Zeus the truth. I had to stop the war. She would never forgive me if I saved her instead. I thought about the prophecy made at Half-Blood Hill, what seemed like a million years ago. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.**

"You had to leave your mom…" Hestia said softly.

"It must have been especially hard. I mean, you went through all this, just to leave her again." Thalia said.

"Okay, I get it, no need to mention it again…" Percy rolled his eyes.

"Sally…" Poseidon smiled sadly.

**"I'm sorry," I told her. "I'll be back. I'll find a way."**

**The smug look on Hades's face faded. He said, "Godling ... ?"**

**"I'll find your helmet, Uncle," I told him. "I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."**

**"Do not defy me—"**

"And he defies you!" Connor said smugly, while everyone snickered.

**"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."**

"Got that covered!" Nico called.

**"Percy Jackson, you will not—"**

**I shouted, "Now, guys!"**

**We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.**

**Hades yelled, "Destroy them!"**

**The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.**

**Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl fragments at my feet exploded with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground.**

**Annabeth and Grover were right behind me. Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up. Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and I knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.**

**"Look up.'" Grover yelled. "We're going to crash!"**

**Sure enough, we were racing right toward the stalactites, which I figured would pop our bubbles and skewer us.**

**"How do you control these things?" Annabeth shouted.**

**"I don't think you do!" I shouted back.**

**We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and ... Darkness.**

**Were we dead?**

"Don't think so," Connor said.

**No, I could still feel the racing sensation. We were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, I realized—What belongs to the sea will always return to the sea.**

**For a few moments, I couldn't see anything outside the smooth walls of my sphere, then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor. The two other milky spheres, Annabeth and Grover, kept pace with me as we soared upward through the water. And—ker-blam!**

**We exploded on the surface, in the middle of the Santa Monica Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, "Dude!"**

"Haha, aww poor surfer!" Apollo laughed.

**I grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a life buoy. I caught Annabeth and dragged her over too. A curious shark was circling us, a great white about eleven feet long.**

**I said, "Beat it."**

**The shark turned and raced away.**

"No need to take your anger on poor innocent sharks!" Connor and Travis mocked.

"I just left my mother. Bite me!" Percy grumbled.

"I would rather not." Nico laughed.

"We're not cannibals!" Apollo said, horrified.

"Cannibal fruit!" Thalia snickered.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Ahh, nevermind!" Nico frowned.

**The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.**

**Somehow, I knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice.**

"Weirdo!" Thalia laughed.

"Says the one who can make lightning come out of her finger." Percy retorted.

"Which is cool!"

**In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades's fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after me right now.**

**But at the moment, the Underworld wasn't my biggest problem.**

**I had to get to shore. I had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus. Most of all, I had to have a serious conversation with the god who'd tricked me.**

"The next chapter is going to be…" Connor began.

"…EPIC!" Travis finished.

"Well, can't wait for that part!" Percy winked at Annabeth, Grover and Nico. They knew what was going to happen, and it was going to be exciting.


	22. Chapter 20

"Who wants to read" Nico asked

"I will" Hermes said.

**"I Battle my Jerk Relative,"** Hermes started.

"Oh, I remember this!" Percy leaned back in his chair, grinning widely.

Everyone except Annabeth, and Nico looked at Percy suspiciously.

"You battled Ares?" Zeus guessed.

"Maybe… maybe not." Percy said mysteriously.

"Who else would be a jerk relative?" Hephaestus wondered.

"You!" Ares sneered.

Everyone just groaned and Hermes began reading.

**A Coast Guard boat picked us up,**

"Why didn't you just swim back with Annabeth and Grover?" Nico asked.

"Well, it would look really suspicious." Percy reasoned.

**but they were too busy to keep us for long, or to wonder how three kids in street clothes had gotten out into the middle of the bay. There was a disaster to mop up. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.**

**They dropped us off at the Santa Monica Pier with towels around our shoulders and water bottles that said I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD! and sped off to save more people.**

**Our clothes were sopping wet, even mine. When the Coast Guard boat had appeared, I'd silently prayed they wouldn't pick me out of the water and find me perfectly dry, which might've raised some eyebrows.**

"At least we know you have a brain in there." Thalia joked around, pointing to Percy's head.

"However small it might be…" Nico teased, making everyone laugh.

"Ha, you'll learn to appreciate my instincts later on." Percy grinned.

**So I'd willed myself to get soaked. Sure enough, my usual waterproof magic had abandoned me. I was also barefoot, because I'd given my shoes to Grover.**

"It's a record," Athena said. "The son of Poseidon has another half-decent idea."

Percy didn't know whether to frown or smile. So he settled with a smirk.

**Better the Coast Guard wonder why one of us was barefoot than wonder why one of us had hooves.**

"That makes sense…" Nico said.

**After reaching dry land, we stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise. I felt as if I'd just come back from the dead**

"You just did come back from the dead," Thalia said, "Of course you'd feel that way."

**—which I had. My back pack was heavy with Zeus's master bolt. My heart was even heavier from seeing my mother.**

**"I don't believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way—"**

**It was a trick," I said. "A strategy worthy of Athena."**

Athena glared at Percy, who shivered under her cold gaze and muttered sorry.

"Don't succumb to her stare, son!" Poseidon dramatically sighed.

"It's not her stare, it's the fact that she's a goddess who can easily turn me into food for her vicious owls," Percy whispered to his dad.

**"Hey," she warned.**

**"You get it, don't you?"**

**She dropped her eyes, her anger fading. "Yeah. I get it."**

**"Well, I don't!" Grover complained. "Would some body—"**

**"Percy ..." Annabeth said. "I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry..."**

**I pretended not to hear her. If I talked about my mother, I was going to start crying like a little kid.**

The Stoll brothers snickered at Percy.

Percy's usually warm smile turned into a stiff and cold frown and they stopped laughing immediately. Nico pulled Percy into a hug, to cheer him up.

**"The prophecy was right," I said. "You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it wasn't Hades.**

"FINALLY!" Hades shouted and the demigods snickered.

Zeus frowned. "What a shame."

**Hades didn't want war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades' helm, and framed me because I'm Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."**

"You didn't cause it, you just couldn't stop it." Thalia corrected.

"Same thing…" Percy waved his hand.

**Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?"**

"Well, let's see… who's the one who gave the backpack to Percy?" Thalia sarcastically said to the book.

"Hey! No accusing until there's proof!" Ares said.

This made Percy and Annabeth snicker. "Oh just you wait…"

**I stopped in my tracks, looking down the beach. "Gee, let me think."**

**There he was, waiting for us, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its head light turning the sand red.**

**"Hey, kid," Ares said, seeming genuinely pleased to see me. "You were supposed to die."**

Poseidon and Nico growled.

"That enough proof for you?" Percy laughed, making Ares growl.

Everyone looked at Ares accusingly.

**"You tricked me," I said. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."**

"Well it wasn't him directly," Hephaestus stated.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Percy rolled his eyes.

**Ares grinned. "Well, now, I didn't steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power—that's a big no-no. But you're not the only hero in the world who can run errands."**

"Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice."

**The idea seemed to amuse him. "Doesn't matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you've got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus'll be mad at him. And Hades is still looking for this …"**

"How can Ares come up with a brilliant plan like that?" Athena questioned. "No offense, Ares, but your not the brightest."

"I'm still offended!" Ares said.

"Of course Ares isn't the brightest," Hermes said. "Apollo is; he's the sun god after all!" Apollo high-fived Hermes and Artemis muttered about how idiotic boys were.

"Wait," Hades said slowly, his eyes narrowing upon the god of war. "You didn't."

**From his pocket he took out a ski cap—the kind bank robbers wear—and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.**

"MY HELM OF DARKNESS!" Hades yelled, standing up and glaring at Ares.

Athena crossed her arms, "I don't buy it."

"Hades, sit down, we will sort this out and besides, this hasn't happened yet." Zeus reasoned.

"Pah, when were you ever reasonable!" Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Hypocrite."

"Whatever, just sit down Hades."

"Fine, but I'm still mad, and I will get the culprit and send him to Tartarus." Hades growled, making Ares gulp uncomfortably.

**"The helm of darkness," Grover gasped.**

**"Exactly," Ares said. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he doesn't know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three-way slugfest going."**

**"But they're your family!" Annabeth protested.**

"Why would that matter to Ares? I mean, I think you can only pull that trick on the ladies…" Travis chuckled, making the goddesses glare at him and the Gods snickering.

**Ares shrugged. "Best kind of war. Always the bloodiest. Nothing like watching your relatives fight, I always say."**

"Dude, someone has problems…" Connor whispered to Travis, then cringed away from the glare that Ares gave him.

**"You gave me the backpack in Denver," I said. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."**

**"Yes and no," Ares said. "It's probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It always returns to your pocket, right?"**

"Brilliant…" Athena murmured, sounding like she was more interested in the concept of the bolt than what was going on in the book.

**I wasn't sure how Ares knew about that, but I guess a god of war had to make it his business to know about weapons.**

**"Anyway," Ares continued, "I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades... Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way—no loss.**

"No loss? NO LOSS?" Poseidon roared.

"I wonder what poor country is having a tsunami right now…" Travis asked himself.

The sea god took a deep breath and banged his head on his throne a few times.

"You okay?" Hades asked, not really caring. He was pretty sure a god couldn't get hurt from his own throne.

"Yep. Fine, totally fine. Just trying not to kill Ares here,"

Same here, too bad he can't die. Muttered Nico darkly.

"Cool story." Zeus said in a monotone voice. "OKAY READ NOW."

"We should have our own TV show," Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

**I still had the weapon."**

"Amazing!" Athena said, her eyes sparkling.

"Okay, let's save your nerdy talk for later." Apollo said, making everyone laughed.

Sadly, Athena didn't take that insult too lightly, and began yelling at Apollo incessantly.

Hermes tried reading over the noise, but couldn't.

Finally, Zeus couldn't take it anymore. "LADY ATHENA! Sit down and let us read or you will be banned from the room!"

Athena looked grudgingly at Zeus, closed her mouth, gave him the evil eye, and sat down.

Apollo let out a sigh of relief, and took deep breaths, trying to calm himself while Hermes patted his arm.

**"But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?" I said. "Why send it to Hades?"**

**Ares got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. "Why didn't I ... yeah ... with that kind of fire power ..."**

"What? No one controls me!" Ares looked confused.

"Another voice in his head? It couldn't be…" Athena said out loud. "No, no it couldn't possibly be…hmmm…"

"Sorry to burst your bubble Ares, but you're not the hardest person ever to manipulate," Hermes stated.

**He held the trance for one second ... two seconds...**

**I exchanged nervous looks with Annabeth.**

**Ares's face cleared. "I didn't want the trouble. Better to have you caught red-handed, holding the thing."**

**"You're lying," I said. "Sending the bolt to the Underworld wasn't your idea, was it?"**

**"Of course it was!" Smoke drifted up from his sun glasses, as if they were about to catch fire.**

"If you can't fool Percy, you can't fool anyone…" Travis shook his head disappointingly.

"I can lie very well, punks!" Ares yelled.

"That was a good one," Hermes and Apollo snickered.

**"You didn't order the theft," I guessed. "Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you didn't turn him over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around."**

"Exactly, no one orders me around." Ares said.

Thunder boomed outside and Zeus looked at Ares demandingly.

Ares gulped. "Except for Zeus."

**"I am the god of war! I take orders from no one!**

"Except for Zeus!" Ares added.

**I don't have dreams!"**

**"No one mentioned dreams." Athena raised her eyebrows. "Someone is controlling you. It's him, isn't it?" She turned to Zeus.**

"We are not talking about this right now." Zeus turned solemn.

"We are reading this book to change the future! Not sit around doing nothing!" Athena argued.

"Actually, if we just sit around doing nothing, everything will work out fine anyways." Percy added.

Athena glared at Percy. "Not helping!"

"Probably not a good time to interrupt." Nico whispered to Percy.

"We must discuss this, Lord Zeus," Athena said.

"Fine, but not until after the book." Zeus finally said, his voice indicating that the discussion was over.

**I hesitated. "Who said anything about dreams?"**

**Ares looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk.**

**"Let's get back to the problem at hand, kid. You're alive. I can't have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hard-headed idiots to listen to you. So I've got to kill you.**

"WHAT?" Poseidon yelled, outraged. He went right up to Ares, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. "You know, you're lucky that I'm a nice guy and this didn't happen yet, so I'm not going to pummel you into tomato sauce. Yet." He said in a low, threatening voice.

"Ah, who're you kidding, Uncle P." Apollo laughed lightly. "A fight would be very entertaining right now. I can even get us some popcorn!"

Most of the people in the room rolled their eyes. "Apollo, just shut up, will ya?"

"But Artie, America is a free country. FREEDOM OF SPEECH HERE!" Apollo shouted dramatically, right before he was tackled to the ground.

"Nothing personal."

"Yeah, nothing personal at all," Hermes scoffed. "Ares just likes to go around murdering little twelve year olds who are trying to save the world from a full out brawl with nature itself."

"Exactly," Percy laughed.

**He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half-Blood. The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor-sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.**

Mount Olympus was quiet as Hermes carried on reading.

**I stepped into the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."**

**He laughed, but I heard a little edge to his laughter ... an uneasiness.**

"Ares being uneasy? That will happen when civilization is doomed." Demeter said.

"Hey, it was close!" Percy laughed.

**"You've only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You don't have what it takes."**

"He's freaking twelve!" Poseidon rolled his eyes.

**"Scared?"**

**"In your adolescent dreams." But his sunglasses were starting to melt from the heat of his eyes. "No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You're not at my level."**

**Annabeth said, "Percy, run!"**

**The giant boar charged.**

**But I was done running from monsters. Or Hades, or Ares, or anybody.**

"Would you be thinking that if you weren't standing in water right now?" Thalia questioned.

"Um... probably," Percy said, not sure but didn't really care either way.

**As the boar rushed me, I uncapped my pen and side stepped. Riptide appeared in my hands. I slashed upward. The boar's severed right tusk fell at my feet, while the disoriented animal charged into the sea.**

**I shouted, "Wave!"**

**Immediately, a wave surged up from nowhere and engulfed the boar, wrapping around it like a blanket.**

**The beast squealed once in terror. Then it was gone, swallowed by the sea.,**

"Hm... I still think you would be good at surfing," Nico said, remembering a question he asked long ago.

Percy chuckled, "I suppose that's true."

**I turned back to Ares. "Are you going to fight me now?" I asked. "Or are you going to hide behind another pet?"**

"That's a good way to gain a fight, challenge them. Nice job, for a demigod." Ares said.

**Ares's face was purple with rage. "Watch it, kid. I could turn you into—"**

**"A cockroach," I said. "Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I'm sure. That'd save you from getting your godly hide whipped, wouldn't it?"**

"Well, you certainly have a flare for pissing gods off don't you," Thalia said.

"I thought you would have realized that by now," Annabeth said.

"Thalia, lets just say it's my specialty," Percy grinned like a little kid on Christmas morning.

**Flames danced along the top of his glasses. "Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot."**

**"If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helm and the bolt are mine and you have to go away."**

"Damn, my helm." Hades frowned.

"Nice to know you have so much faith in me, uncle." Percy muttered.

"Oh trust me, he doesn't have faith in anyone." Demeter shrugged. "He has some trust issues."

"No I don't!" Hades argued.

"It's okay, we can go see a counsellor after his, okay? Don't fret, young one." Apollo laughed.

Hades growled. He just gave up on them.

**Ares sneered.**

**He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?"**

"Hm… I don't know, which one hurts less?" Percy pretended to think about it.

**I showed him my sword.**

**"That's cool, dead boy," he said. "Classic it is." The baseball bat changed into a huge, two-handed sword. The hilt was a large silver skull with a ruby in its mouth.**

**"Percy," Annabeth said. "Don't do this. He's a god."**

**"He's a coward," I told her.**

"Ares, really isn't a coward," Thalia said, "He's a bully for sure... but not a coward."

"I don't need a half-blood defending me," Ares pouted.

"Aww, don't you look so adorable!" Aphrodite squealed while pinching Ares' cheeks.

The god of war looked at Aphrodite in horror.

"He's a coward." Percy whispered so no one could hear.

**She swallowed. "Wear this, at least. For luck."**

**She took off her necklace, with her five years' worth of camp beads and the ring from her father, and tied it around my neck.**

**"Reconciliation," she said. "Athena and Poseidon together."**

**My face felt a little warm, but I managed a smile. "Thanks."**

**"You shouldn't be holding grudges anymore. If we -" Percy pointed to himself and Annabeth. "- can get along, than you should be able to at least not kill each other every time."**

"Blame your father. He's just jealous Athens chose me instead of him." Athena huffed, sitting down.

"Well, if you had stopped boasting, I might have congratulated you!" Poseidon retorted.

"Mozzarella is obviously better!" Poseidon exclaimed.

"Are you crazy? Cheddar is better!" Athena sighed.

"Wait, how did they get all the way to the topic of cheese?" Percy asked Travis and Connor.

"They started arguing about Athens, and then about the Medusa incident, and somehow ended up with cheese…" Travis said.

"Honestly, I think Gouda is better." Connor said.

"Sounds like your saying good." Percy mused.

"I can't believe were talking about cheese right now." Annabeth moaned.

Zeus, being tired of just watching Hermes play with his shoes and Aphrodite combing her hair, he finally yelled "STOP!"

"Obviously, you can't get along… ever!" Zeus said.

"Now read, Hermes" Zeus said

**"And take this," Grover said. He handed me a flattened tin can that he'd probably been saving in his pocket for a thousand miles. "The satyrs stand behind you."**

**"Grover ... I don't know what to say."**

**He patted me on the shoulder. I stuffed the tin can in my back pocket.**

**"You all done saying good-bye?" Ares came toward me, his black leather duster trailing behind him, his sword glinting like fire in the sunrise. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?"**

"A smaller ego," Percy said.

"Are you sure?" Nico joked, Percy smirked.

**but I said nothing. I kept my feet in the surf, backing into the water up to my ankles. I thought back to what Annabeth had said at the Denver diner, so long ago: Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow down to wisdom sometimes.**

**He cleaved downward at my head, but I wasn't there.**

**My body thought for me. The water seemed to push me into the air and I catapulted over him, slashing as I came down. But Ares was just as quick. He twisted, and the strike that should've caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his sword hilt.**

**He grinned. "Not bad, not bad."**

**He slashed again and I was forced to jump onto dry land.**

"Well that's not good…" Connor said.

**I tried to sidestep, to get back to the water, but Ares seemed to know what I wanted.**

"An ant could figure out what you wanted." Hermes laughed.

**He out maneuvered me, pressing so hard I had to put all my concentration on not getting sliced into pieces. I kept backing away from the surf. I couldn't find any openings to attack. His sword had a reach several feet longer than Anaklusmos.**

**Get in close, Luke had told me once, back in our sword class. When you've got the shorter blade, get in close.**

**I stepped inside with a thrust, but Ares was waiting for that.**

"Ares is the god of war; I think he would know anything to do with fighting." Thalia muttered.

"Oh yeah, I'm awesome. I feel sorry for you, kid. You're going to get sliced into a million pieces, courtesy of moi." Ares laughed darkly.

"You do realize he's sitting across the room from you, right?" Aphrodite whispered in his ear, giggling.

**He knocked my blade out of my hands and kicked me in the chest. I went airborne—twenty, maybe thirty feet. I would've broken my back if I hadn't crashed into the soft sand of a dune.**

**"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "Cops!"**

"Aw, stupid mortal interference!" Hades pouted, enjoying the fighting scene.

**I was seeing double. My chest felt like it had just been hit with a battering ram, but I managed to get to my feet.**

**I couldn't look away from Ares for fear he'd slice me in half, but out of the corner of my eye I saw red lights flashing on the shoreline boulevard. Car doors were slamming.**

**"There, officer!" somebody yelled. "See?"**

**A gruff cop voice: "Looks like that kid on TV ... what the heck ..."**

**"That guy's armed," another cop said. "Call for backup."**

**I rolled to one side as Ares's blade slashed the sand.**

**I ran for my sword, scooped it up, and launched a swipe at Ares's face, only to find my blade deflected again.**

**Ares seemed to know exactly what I was going to do the moment before I did it.**

"Because i'm cool like that…" Ares added, everyone rolling their eyes and ignoring him.

"I'm cooler…" Apollo said in a sing-song voice.

"No, you're hotter." Ares stated bluntly. Percy, Aphrodite, Thalia, Annabeth and Artemis started laughing. Even Nico cracked a smile.

"Thank you!" Apollo laughed.

**I stepped back toward the surf, forcing him to follow.**

**"Admit it, kid," Ares said. "You got no hope. I'm just toying with you."**

**My senses were working overtime. I now understood what Annabeth had said about ADHD keeping you alive in battle. I was wide awake, noticing every little detail.**

**I could see where Ares was tensing. I could tell which way he would strike. At the same time, I was aware of Annabeth and Grover, thirty feet to my left. I saw a second cop car pulling up, siren wailing. Spectators, people who had been wandering the streets because of the earthquake, were starting to gather. Among the crowd, I thought I saw a few who were walking with the strange, trotting gait of disguised satyrs. There were shimmering forms of spirits, too, as if the dead had risen from Hades to watch the battle. I heard the flap of leathery wings circling somewhere above.**

"You know how to gather a crowd, Percy," Connor muttered.

"What can I say, I'm a crowd-pleaser." Percy stated in all seriousness.

**More sirens.**

**I stepped farther into the water, but Ares was fast. The tip of his blade ripped my sleeve and grazed my forearm.**

**A police voice on a megaphone said, "Drop the guns.' Set them on the ground. Now!"**

**Guns?**

"Guns? Oh yeah, I like the mist." Apollo said.

**I looked at Ares's weapon, and it seemed to be flickering; sometimes it looked like a shotgun, sometimes a two-handed sword. I didn't know what the humans were seeing in my hands, but I was pretty sure it wouldn't make them like me.**

**Ares turned to glare at our spectators, which gave me a moment to breathe. There were five police cars now, and a line of officers crouching behind them, pistols trained on us.**

**"This is a private matter!" Ares bellowed. "Be gone."**

"I don't think that's going to make them go away." Hera stated.

"Whoa, I never knew she could be so smart!" Hephaestus muttered sarcastically to Hermes.

**He swept his hand, and a wall of red flame rolled across the patrol cars. The police barely had time to dive for cover before their vehicles exploded. The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.**

"I wonder what it would have looked like to them." Thalia mused.

"Probably like a misfire that hit a gas line that had been ruptured due to the earthquake," Zeus said.

**Ares roared with laughter. "Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue."**

**He slashed. I deflected his blade. I got close enough to strike, tried to fake him out with a feint, but my blow was knocked aside. The waves were hitting me in the back now. Ares was up to his thighs, wading in after me.**

**I felt the rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide rolled in, and suddenly I had an idea. Little waves, I thought. And the water behind me seemed to recede. I was holding back the tide by force of will, but tension was building, like carbonation behind a cork.**

Everyone was quiet. They all knew what he was going to do.

**Ares came toward, grinning confidently. I lowered my blade, as if I were too exhausted to go on. Wait for it, I told the sea. The pressure now was almost lifting me off my feet. Ares raised his sword. I released the tide and jumped, rocketing straight over Ares on a wave.**

**A six-foot wall of water smashed him full in the face, leaving him cursing and sputtering with a mouth full of seaweed.**

"Ares just got owned with seaweed from seaweed brain." Nico said, making Percy laugh.

"Nice one!" Apollo high-fived Percy, as Ares just sat there stunned. He actually got beat by a kid.

**I landed behind him with a splash and feinted toward his head, as I'd done before. He turned in time to raise his sword, but this time he was disoriented, he didn't anticipate the trick. I changed direction, lunged to the side, and stabbed Riptide straight down into the water, sending the point through the god's heel.**

"AWESOME!" Hermes yelled. ". . . I mean, um, sorry, Lord Ares. But great job, Percy!" He added in a stage whisper.

**The roar that followed made Hades's earthquake look like a minor event. The very sea was blasted back from Ares, leaving a wet circle of sand fifty feet wide.**

**Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, flowed from a gash in the war god's boot. The expression on his face was beyond hatred. It was pain, shock, complete disbelief that he'd been wounded.**

Poseidon looked at Percy proudly, Percy grinned.

"Good. But you have just made a god your enemy." Athena said, carefully thinking out her words before speaking.

"Wow, big whoop. I don't really care," Percy bluntly remarked.

Athena narrowed her eyes.

**He limped toward me, muttering ancient Greek curses.**

**Something stopped him.**

**It was as if a cloud covered the sun, but worse. Light faded. Sound and color drained away. A cold, heavy presence passed over the beach, slowing time, dropping the temperature to freezing, and making me feel like life was hopeless, fighting was useless.**

"What just happened?" asked Hermes and Apollo.

"Slowing time and temperature dropping. It's him." Athena said firmly.

"Ares was being controlled by Kr—Father." Poseidon whispered.

The Olympians sighed. They all knew it was true.

Zeus was adamant. "Not until after the chapter."

**The darkness lifted.**

**Ares looked stunned.**

**Police cars were burning behind us. The crowd of spectators had fled. Annabeth and Grover stood on the beach, in shock, watching the water flood back around Ares's feet, his glowing golden ichor dissipating in the tide.**

**Ares lowered his sword.**

**"You have made an enemy, godling,"**

"Nothing new," Connor waved it off.

**he told me. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware."**

"Ugh, that stupid curse," Percy rolled his eyes.

"You just cursed my son…" Poseidon told Ares disbelievingly.

**His body began to glow.**

"You just cursed my son!" Poseidon repeated.

"Yeah, we get it. Continue reading!" said an annoyed Dionysus.

**'''Percy!" Annabeth shouted. "Don't watch!"**

**I turned away as the god Ares revealed his true immortal form. I somehow knew that if I looked, I would disintegrate into ashes.**

**The light died.**

**I looked back. Ares was gone. The tide rolled out to reveal Hades's bronze helm of darkness. I picked it up and walked toward my friends.**

"MY HELM!" Hades grinned.

"Ares just got beat by a 12 year old!" Apollo grinned.

"Shut up, he didn't beat me." Ares growled.

"Okay, so what do you call getting your butt kicked?" Poseidon asked innocently.

Ares just stayed silent.

**But before I got there, I heard the flapping of leathery wings. Three evil-looking grandmothers with lace hats and fiery whips drifted down from the sky and landed in front of me.**

"Furies…" Poseidon spat out.

**The middle Fury, the one who had been Mrs. Dodds, stepped forward. Her fangs were bared, but for once she didn't look threatening. She looked more disappointed, as if she'd been planning to have me for supper, but had decided I might give her indigestion.**

"How awkward…" Hestia murmured.

"I guess if I were her, I wouldn't want to eat Percy either. He might taste too salty," Thalia stuck out her tongue in a weird way, making everyone laugh.

"Maybe if he would eat more cereal than he wouldn't taste too bad," Demeter suggested.

"It's okay. I don't want monsters trying to kill me because I taste good." Percy chuckled.

"Eat more cereal!" Demeter insisted.

Everyone looked at her oddly.

"See with I have to deal with?" Nico said to Percy.

Percy nodded his head in sympathy. "I feel bad for you." Pecking his lips.

"You know what, Percy just eat more cereal later so we can continue on reading!" Artemis rolled her eyes.

**"We saw the whole thing," she hissed. "So ... it truly was not you?"**

"Teaches them to blame innocent little kids." Percy pouted.

**I tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise.**

**"Return that to Lord Hades," I said. "Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war."**

**She hesitated, then ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. "Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again …"**

**She cackled, savouring the idea. Then she and her sisters rose on their bats' wings, fluttered into the smoke-filled sky, and disappeared.**

**I joined Grover and Annabeth, who were staring at me in amazement.**

"I still can't believe you didn't get blasted." Annabeth said.

"Yeah, I'm that cool." Percy smirked.

**"Percy ..." Grover said. "That was so incredibly ..."**

**"Terrifying," said Annabeth.**

**"Cool!" Grover corrected.**

"Even Grover agrees with me."

"Well, okay I guess that was pretty awesome." Thalia admitted, with the Stoll brothers and Nico nodding.

**I didn't feel terrified. I certainly didn't feel cool. I was tired and sore and completely drained of energy.**

**"Did you guys feel that... whatever it was?" I asked.**

**They both nodded uneasily.**

**"Must've been the Furies overhead," Grover said.**

"I wish it was…" Hephaestus shook his head sadly.

**But I wasn't so sure. Something had stopped Ares from killing me, and whatever could do that was a lot stronger than the Furies.**

**I looked at Annabeth, and an understanding passed between us. I knew now what was in that pit, what had spoken from the entrance of Tartarus.**

**I reclaimed my backpack from Grover and looked inside. The master bolt was still there. Such a small thing to almost cause World War III.**

"My master bolt is not small!" Zeus objected.

"Okay…" Percy said.

"Its not, and if anyone thinks differently… just wait until they get hit by lightning!" Zeus said manically, looking like crazy person as some cowered in fear.

**"We have to get back to New York," I said. "By tonight."**

**"That's impossible," Annabeth said, "unless we—"**

**"Fly," I agreed.**

Zeus snorted. "You actually consider flying through my territory?"

"It was the only way to get to Olympus on time." Percy said.

"And risk that I'm going to make an exception. I bet you, the only thing that kept you alive was my deadly weapon, was it not?" Zeus guessed.

"Yeah…" Percy said sheepishly.

**She stared at me. "Fly, like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, and carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"**

**"Yeah," I said. "Pretty much exactly like that. Come on."**

"The end of the chapter, who wants to read next? We have two more chapters left." Annabeth noted, skimming through the book.

"I will" Hephaestus said.


	23. Chapter 21

AN: Sorry, I forgot to mention that I sent both Clarisse's back to their own time.

* * *

**"I Settle My Tab,"** Hephaestus started.

**It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. Chiron had told me that long ago. As usual, I didn't appreciate his wisdom until much later.**

"I don't appreciate it yet." Thalia noted.

"No one does till it actually helps." Nico grinned.

**According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.**

Zeus smiled smugly, "I was right."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard…" Annabeth giggled.

Everyone looked at her expectantly. Zeus's smug smile turned into a disapproving frown.

"Okay not really…" Annabeth corrected, trying to think quickly. "In a world where gods exist, nothing is ridiculous."

"I guess that true!" Percy said.

**This crazy kidnapper was the same man who had abducted me and two other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.**

"Crazy kidnapper?" an outraged Ares scowled.

**Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all.**

"Atleast we know that you don't have the worst luck, just a lot of bad luck." Apollo said.

**He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterward, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus—"Why didn't I remember him before?"). The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson (I was beginning to like this kid)**

"Me too!" Apollo agreed with the book.

"I'm not." Ares growled.

**had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson and his two friends were safely in police custody.**

**The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted and played victimized kids for the cameras.**

Thalia snorted. "Victimized?"

"Shut up," Annabeth grinned.

**"All I want," I said, choking back my tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again. Poseidon growled quietly. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew ... somehow ... we would be okay. And growled louder. And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store.**

Then he stopped growling as everyone burst out laughing.

"Nice one!" Connor and Travis patted Percy on the back.

"Finally, Percy knows how to be evil!" Nico chuckled evilly. "REVENGE!"

Everyone looked at him oddly.

"Who knew a 12 year old could be so…"

"Scary?" Percy laughed.

"Yeah," Annabeth grinned, as Nico frowned slightly.

"He's a child of Hades, what did you expect, unicorns and rainbows?" Thalia asked, amused.

Annabeth shrugged. "He's twelve, it could be possible!"

"I'm 16, not 12! Nico exclaimed.

"Even though unicorns and rainbows are disturbing." She added in an afterthought.

"I am offended!" Nico tried to pout innocently.

"Ha! Give up the act; we all know your evil!" Percy said.

"Yeah whatever," Nico waved his hand dismissively, while grinning. "Read already."

**Here's the phone number." The police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for three tickets on the next plane and Poseidon's back to moaning. to New York.**

"I guess that's pretty nice." Aphrodite said.

"No it isn't!" Poseidon yelled. "He's going on a plane!"

"Well, Mr. Grumpy, it's the thoughts that count!" Aphrodite huffed.

**I knew there was no choice but to fly. I hoped Zeus would cut me some slack, considering the circumstances. But it was still hard to force myself on board the flight.**

Zeus nodded his head. "Yeah, you're lucky if I didn't blast you out of the sky."

"You wouldn't dare…" Poseidon said.

"Of course he wouldn't, right?" Hera said to Zeus.

"Whatever." Zeus rolled his eyes.

"You only agreed because you didn't want to hurt your precious baby bolt…" Poseidon muttered.

**Takeoff was a nightmare. Every spot of turbulence was scarier than a Greek monster.**

Thalia subconsciously bit her lip. Heights were not her thing.

"That scary?" Travis and Connor asked.

"Yeah!" Percy said. "You would be too if you might get blasted out of the sky at any moment by your powerful uncle with a temper." While Nico nodded.

Zeus glared at Percy.

**I didn't unclench my hands from the armrests until we touched down safely at La Guardia. The local press was waiting for us outside security, but we managed to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!" then rejoined us at baggage claim.**

"Pretty clever," Connor said, as everyone looked at him.

"I'm a daughter of Athena." Annabeth stated.

"I know, why are you telling me?" Connor asked blankly.

"Just read." Annabeth told Hephaestus, giving up hope on poor Connor.

**We split up at the taxi stand. I told Annabeth and Grover to get back to Half-Blood Hill and let Chiron know what had happened. They protested, and it was hard to let them go after all we'd been through, but I knew I had to do this last part of the quest by myself. If things went wrong, if the gods didn't believe me ... I wanted Annabeth and Grover to survive to tell Chiron the truth.**

**I hopped in a taxi and headed into Manhattan.**

**Thirty minutes later, I walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building.**

**I must have looked like a homeless kid, with my tattered clothes and my scraped-up face. I hadn't slept in at least twenty-four hours.**

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Well, it's not my fault; I was already so close to the deadline." Percy smiled guiltily.

**I went up to the guard at the front desk and said, "Six hundredth floor."**

**He was reading a huge book with a picture of a wizard on the front. I wasn't much into fantasy, but the book must've been good, because the guard took a while to look up. "No such floor, kiddo."**

**"I need an audience with Zeus."**

**He gave me a vacant smile. "Sorry?"**

**"You heard me."**

**I was about to decide this guy was just a regular mortal, and I'd better run for it before he called the straitjacket patrol, when he said, "No appointment, no audience, kiddo. Lord Zeus doesn't see anyone unannounced."**

**"Oh, I think he'll make an exception." I slipped off my backpack and unzipped the top.**

"Man, you could have been a Hermes kid if you wanted to," Travis said, laughing.

**The guard looked inside at the metal cylinder, not getting what it was for a few seconds. Then his face went pale. "That isn't..."**

**"Yes, it is," I promised. "You want me take it out and—"**

**"No! No!" He scrambled out of his seat, fumbled around his desk for a key card, then handed it to me. "Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."**

"I think it was implied that you make sure nobody is in the elevator." Thalia rolled her eyes.

**I did as he told me. As soon as the elevator doors closed, I slipped the key into the slot. The card disappeared and a new button appeared on the console, a red one that said 600.**

**I pressed it and waited, and waited.**

**Music played. "Raindrops keep falling on my head..."**

"They should totally get epic songs to play in the elevator." Apollo whispered. Percy snickered, thinking of one of the other times he'd been in that elevator. Thinking of Disco Apollo.

**Finally, doors slid open. I stepped out and almost had a heart attack.**

"Oh darn, so close…" Ares mumbled, as everyone looked at him.

"Kidding!" Ares said, looking at Poseidon, who looked murderous.

**I was standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below me was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. In front of me, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. My eyes followed the stairway to its end, where my brain just could not accept what I saw.**

**Look again, my brain said.**

**We're looking, my eyes insisted. It's really there.**

"Percy is talking to himself," Travis sniggered.

"Percy is talking to his eyes." Annabeth corrected, trying hard not to smile. "Percy's brain is talking to his eyes." Her attempt failed.

"We all knew he was insane." Thalia joked.

"Good for nothing friends." Percy muttered to himself.

**From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gar dens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.**

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A number of the gods said. Annabeth smiled.

"It's even better now."

**This place can't be here, I told myself. The tip of a mountain hanging over New York City like a billion-ton asteroid? How could something like that be anchored above the Empire State Building, in plain sight of millions of people, and not get noticed?**

"You should have learned by now that when gods exist, anything can happen," Nico said.

"Not anything. There are…" Athena stated.

"Give me a break, okay?" Percy said. "I was still getting the hang of this whole demigod deal."

"Yeah, okay. Start reading," Poseidon interrupted.

**But here it was. And here I was.**

**My trip through Olympus was a daze. I passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at me from their garden. Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia-on-a-stick,**

"Oh, ambrosia-on-a-stick, those things are…" Apollo ranted.

Artemis sighed and snapped her fingers. Ambrosia-on-a-stick appeared in front of Apollo, who stared blankly.

"Why'd you do that for?" Apollo asked.

"You started talking about how good it was, I figured you'd want one." Artemis said.

"Nah…" Apollo waved his hand dismissively.

Artemis just sat there shocked with the other gods and goddesses.

"Are you sick?" Thalia asked.

Apollo snorted. "I think I would have known if I was sick."

**and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus-TV. The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered—satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses. Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood.**

"It's the solstice," Apollo, Hermes and Artemis said at the same time. "It's a time for celebrating."

**Several of them turned to watch me pass, and whispered to themselves.**

**I climbed the main road, toward the big palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld.**

**There, everything had been black and bronze. Here, every thing glittered white and silver.**

**I realized Hades must've built his palace to resemble this one. He wasn't welcomed in Olympus except on the winter solstice, so he'd built his own Olympus underground.**

**Despite my bad experience with him, I felt a little sorry for the guy. To be banished from this place seemed really unfair. It would make anybody bitter.**

"Exactly." Hades muttered.

Some people looked sympathetic and guilty at this.

**Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.**

**Room really isn't the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.**

**Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for two at the end: the head throne on the right, and the one to its immediate left. I didn't have to be told who the two gods were that were sitting there, waiting for me to approach. I came toward them, my legs trembling.**

"That sounds very intimidating," Thalia said.

"It was," Percy said. "Trust me."

**The gods were in giant human form, as Hades had been, but I could barely look at them without feeling a tingle, as if my body were starting to burn. Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well-trimmed beard, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy gray.**

"I look great, don't I," Zeus boasted.

"Someone has a huge ego," Hades muttered.

Everyone looked at Zeus.

"Wow, you are spot on, Percy." Travis whispered.

"Who knew you could be so descriptive," Thalia joked, but when Percy glared at her, she said "Fine, sheesh, I was just joking."

**As I got nearer to him, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.**

**The god sitting next to him was his brother, without a doubt, but he was dressed very differently. He reminded me of a beachcomber from Key West. He wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it.**

"That's me," Poseidon grinned.

"I didn't really expect a god to dress like that," Percy smiled.

Poseidon said. "We dress casual sometimes, especially me."

**His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like an old-time fisherman's. His hair was black, like mine. His face had that same brooding look that had always gotten me branded a rebel. But his eyes, sea green like mine, were surrounded by sun-crinkles that told me he smiled a lot, too.**

**His throne was a deep-sea fisherman's chair. It was the simple swiveling kind, with a black leather seat and a built-in holster for a fishing pole. Instead of a pole, the holster held a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips.**

**The gods weren't moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.**

"When do you not see them like this?" Hermes laughed.

**I approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet. "Father."**

**"It's a wonder you made it back at all, you should have addressed Zeus first. He's the master of the house!" Annabeth said incredulously.**

"Uh… yeah," Percy rubbed his neck nervously.

**I dared not look up. My heart was racing. I could feel the energy emanating from the two gods. If I said the wrong thing, I had no doubt they could blast me into dust.**

**To my left, Zeus spoke. "Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?"**

"Good luck," Thalia said to the book.

**I kept my head down, and waited.**

**"Peace, brother," Poseidon finally said. His voice stirred my oldest memories: that warm glow I remembered as a baby, the sensation of this god's hand on my forehead,**

"I visited you before," Poseidon remembered fondly.

**"The boy defers to his father. This is only right."**

**"You still claim him then?" Zeus asked, menacingly. "You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?"**

"Says the one who did it first…" Demeter muttered.

**"I have admitted my wrongdoing," Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him speak."**

Percy glared at the floor. Wrong doing…

Thalia had the same look but more intense. No one seemed to noticed except for the demigods.

Wrong doing.

**A lump welled up in my throat. Was that all I was? A wrong doing? The result of a god's mistake?**

Poseidon looked guilt-ridden as he looked at Percy, who was glaring so intently on the floor that he didn't notice everyone was looking at him and Thalia worriedly.

"Percy–" Poseidon tried to say.

"Save it, I don't need your pity." Percy mumbled.

**"I have spared him once already," Zeus grumbled. "Daring to fly through my domain ... pah! I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence."**

**"And risk destroying your own master bolt?" Poseidon asked calmly. "Let us hear him out, brother."**

**Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen," he decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."**

"Aren't you being a little harsh?" Hestia spoke up.

"Maybe I was a little tiny bit harsh," Zeus admitted. "But he was in my domain!"

Little tiny bit? You wanted to throw me off Olympus! Percy thought.

**"Perseus," Poseidon said. "Look at me."**

**I did, and I wasn't sure what I saw in his face. There was no clear sign of love or approval. Nothing to encourage me. It was like looking at the ocean: some days, you could tell what mood it was in. Most days, though, it was unreadable, mysterious.**

**I got the feeling Poseidon really didn't know what to think of me. He didn't know whether he was happy to have me as a son or not. In a strange way, I was glad that Poseidon was so distant. If he'd tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled, it would've felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around.**

Everyone was silent as the gods and goddesses thought about this.

One thing was going through their heads. Was this what all they're children thought of them?

Looking around the room, the half-bloods felt like comforting them, but they didn't because they needed to hear the cold hard truth. That was the only way they were going to fix this problem; by hearing it from a demigod's point of view.

**I could live with that. After all, I wasn't sure about him yet, either.**

**"Address Lord Zeus, boy," Poseidon told me. "Tell him your story."**

**So I told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. I took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet.**

**There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.**

**Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it.**

**As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on my scalp rise.**

**"I sense the boy tells the truth," Zeus muttered. "But that Ares would do such a thing ... it is most unlike him."**

Percy snorted bitterly. "Ares is a war god, how is it unlike him?"

**"He is proud and impulsive," Poseidon said. "It runs in the family."**

"Sure does…" Thalia mumbled under her breath.

**"Lord?" I asked.**

They both said, "Yes?"

**"Ares didn't act alone. Someone else—something else— came up with the idea."**

**I described my dreams, and the feeling I'd had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world, and made Ares back off from killing me.**

**"In the dreams," I said, "the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war."**

**"You are accusing Hades, after all?" Zeus asked.**

Hades put his hands in his face hopelessly while Nico shook his head.

**"No," I said. "I mean, Lord Zeus, I've been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to that pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus, wasn't it? Something powerful and evil is stirring down there ... something even older than the gods."**

**Poseidon and Zeus looked at each other. They had a quick, intense discussion in Ancient Greek. I only caught one word. Father.**

**Poseidon made some kind of suggestion, but Zeus cut him off. Poseidon tried to argue. Zeus held up his hand angrily. "We will speak of this no more," Zeus said.**

Percy sighed. This is probably how the war started in the first place.

**"I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."**

"Could he be anymore stubborn?" Percy mouthed to Annabeth and Nico, who both nodded.

**He rose and looked at me. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."**

**"I had help, sir," I said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase—"**

**"To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."**

No one said a thing, but it was obvious what a lot of people were thinking. So unfair.

"Now I get why so many demigods turned to the evil side," Connor bravely spoke up.

Everyone looked expectantly at him, but it was Percy who spoke.

"We do all your dirty work and risk our lives for your sake, but we hardly ever get any proper thanks in return." Percy said bitterly.

"It's always like 'Hey, I'm your father, go do quests for me because I'm a god and we're more important!'" Thalia said.

"We're just pawns in your game, Necessary to win, but thrown away when we've done what you wanted." Nico stood up defiantly.

Zeus stood up, outraged. "How dare you–"

"No, hold on." Annabeth interrupted, signaling Percy to carry on.

"This is why the war began in the first place. Your children felt left out, unloved, and deserted. When Kronos offered a better life, they simply took it." Percy looked every Olympian in the eye. "You have to change your ways, or else that will be the downfall of the gods."

By this time, Olympus was silent, and all eyes were on Percy.

Zeus was shocked. He was the king of gods. No one ever stood up to him, certainly not a demigod.

"They are right." Demeter finally said, some gods nodding.

"Yeah," Hera agreed.

Okay, Zeus was now officially speechless. Hera hated demigods and here she was standing up for them.

"They came here to help, did they not? We should at least try–" Hestia said.

"I say we start a war," Ares suggested.

"We're trying to prevent a war!" Athena groaned.

"Ares, please just shut up." Aphrodite said.

Ares contemplated. Start a war that will last for a couple of weeks or keep a girlfriend for a couple hundred years.

Ares sighed. "Fine."

"As I was saying, they are right. We need to change."

Zeus looked unconvinced. "We have been this way for centuries and we're still ruling."

"That's what Kronos said. Look where he is now, sliced up in a million pieces in Tartarus." Percy stated.

Zeus sighed. "Let's just talk about it after we finish reading the other books so we know what's going on."

Everyone agreed and Hephaestus began reading again.

**"Um... thank you, sir."**

**"Do not presume to fly again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation."**

**Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.**

**I was alone in the throne room with my father. "Your uncle," Poseidon sighed, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done well as the god of theater."**

Zeus huffed while everyone laughed. "That is not true."

"Yes it is," Poseidon laughed.

**An uncomfortable silence.**

**"Sir," I said, "what was in that pit?"**

**Poseidon regarded me. "Have you not guessed?"**

**"Kronos," I said. "The king of the Titans."**

**Even in the throne room of Olympus, far away from Tartarus, the name Kronos darkened the room, made the hearth fire seem not quite so warm on my back.**

**Poseidon gripped his trident. "In the First War, Percy, Zeus cut our father Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father, Ouranos. Zeus cast Kronos's remains into the darkest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed, their monstrous allies driven to the farthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, any more than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive in some hideous way, still conscious in his eternal pain, still hungering for power."**

"That must hurt… a lot." Connor said.

"No wonder he's so bitter, but he totally deserved it." Thalia said.

**"He's healing," I said. "He's coming back."**

**Poseidon shook his head. "From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing."**

"But he did. I mean he's going to." Travis said.

"If we just listened, maybe we could have prevented this…" Poseidon said guiltily.

"This is our second chance, we can finally stop it before it ever began," Annabeth said.

Percy cleared his throat. "I was just thinking –"

"Percy was thinking!" Connor blurted out.

"Anyways," Percy glared at Connor. "Won't changing the past change the present? I might not have met Annabeth, Grover, Thalia or Nico!"

"Way to include us!" Travis grumbled.

"That may be true…" Athena said.

"Yeah, perhaps we save a life that wasn't supposed to live but another person dies in their place?" Thalia asked.

"Oh my gods," Percy groaned. "This is so confusing!"

"Ill figure this out, just start reading!" Athena snapped.

**"That's what he intends, Father. That's what he said."**

**Poseidon was silent for a long time.**

**"Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos. You have completed your quest, child. That is all you need to do."**

**"But—" I stopped myself. Arguing would do no good. It would very possibly anger the only god who I had on my side.**

"Good choice," Annabeth said.

"Finally you use your kelp for brains." Thalia said dramatically.

"Hey!" Percy pouted.

**"As ... as you wish, Father."**

Nico made a face. "It's so weird when you speak politely!"

"Is it really?" Percy asked.

"Yeah," everyone agreed.

**A faint smile played on his lips. "Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?"**

Everyone chuckled in agreement with that, including Percy.

**"No ... sir."**

**"I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained." He rose to his full height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and became the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of me. "You must go, child. But first, know that your mother has returned."**

Poseidon smiled brightly and was going to talk to Percy, but decided not to when he looked at Percy's face.

"Yay, Sally's back!" Nico cheered. "Her cookies are so good!"

"And she's smart and nice." Annabeth added.

**I stared at him, completely stunned. "My mother?"**

**"You will find her at home. Hades sent her when you recovered his helm. Even the Lord of Death pays his debts."**

**My heart was pounding. I couldn't believe it. "Do you ... would you ..."**

**I wanted to ask if Poseidon would come with me to see her, but then I realized that was ridiculous. I imagined loading the God of the Sea into a taxi and taking him to the Upper East Side.**

Despite the sad atmosphere, Connor, Travis and Nico smiled.

"Let's just go load a god into a car and ride home!" Nico mimicked.

"That would be pretty funny…" Percy said.

**If he'd wanted to see my mom all these years, he would have. And there was Smelly Gabe to think about.**

A lot of scowls were met with this statement and Poseidon frowned fiercely.

**Poseidon's eyes took on a little sadness. "When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room."**

**"A package?"**

"A Package? What package!" Apollo asked.

"Dude, calm down," Hermes grinned.

Athena and Artemis had a pretty good idea of what it was and smiled.

**"You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide."**

"So cryptic," Nico said.

"He makes it sound it like your decision decides the fate of the world." Thalia said.

"It might," Percy noted.

"Does it?"

"No."

"I rest my case." Thalia smiled smugly.

**I nodded, though I didn't know what he meant.**

Nico chuckled. "That happens a lot, right?"

"I'm not going to reply to that…" Percy said sheepishly.

**"Your mother is a queen among women," Poseidon said wistfully. "I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still ... I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."**

"That's true…" Apollo said sadly.

"Percy…" Poseidon pleadingly said.

Percy looked up, and everyone saw that his normally cheerful sea green eyes were replaced with a dark green color.

"It's…fine." Percy finally said. "It's over, well in your case, it hasn't happened yet."

Poseidon looked hurt at seeing his son so sad because of him, but complied and began reading.

**I tried not to feel hurt. Here was my own dad, telling me he was sorry I'd been born.**

"I don't mind, Father."

**"Not yet, perhaps," he said. "Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part."**

**"I'll leave you then." I bowed awkwardly. "I—I won't bother you again."**

"This… is so sad!" Aphrodite sniffed.

**I was five steps away when he called, "Perseus."**

**I turned.**

**There was a different light in his eyes, a fiery kind of pride. "You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."**

Percy's mouth gave a small smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came. A true son of the Sea God…

**As I walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert.**

**People and satyrs and naiads all turned toward me, their faces filled with respect and gratitude, and as I passed, they knelt, as if I were some kind of hero.**

"Because you are some kind of hero!" Apollo said.

"That was the first time that happened to me," Percy said quietly.

**Fifteen minutes later, still in a trance, I was back on the streets of Manhattan.**

**I caught a taxi to my mom's apartment, rang the door bell, and there she was—my beautiful mother, smelling of peppermint and licorice, the weariness and worry evaporating from her face as soon as she saw me.**

**"Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby."**

The stoll brothers snickered at Percy, but he just smiled, remembering his sweet and caring mother.

Thalia and Nico sighed, wishing they had a mother like that…

**She crushed the air right out of me. We stood in the hallway as she cried and ran her hands through my hair.**

**I'll admit it—my eyes were a little misty, too.**

"You know, this would be good blackmail." Connor grinned.

"I can hear Clarisse right now! 'Little Prissy cried when he saw his mother!' Travis mimicked as Percy glared at them.

"You better not!"

"We can't make any promises…" Connor said.

**I was shaking, I was so relieved to see her.**

**She told me she'd just appeared at the apartment that morning, scaring Gabe half out of his wits.**

Thalia snorted. "Probably doesn't take much considering he doesn't have any wits!"

"He deserved what's coming to him…" Percy grinned half-heartedly.

**She didn't remember anything since the Minotaur, and couldn't believe it when Gabe told her I was a wanted criminal, traveling across the country, blowing up national monuments. She'd been going out of her mind with worry all day because she hadn't heard the news. Gabe had forced her to go into work, saying she had a month's salary to make up and she'd better get started.**

"WHAT A TOTAL JERK!" Aphrodite screamed.

"Yeah…"

**I swallowed back my anger and told her my own story. I tried to make it sound less scary than it had been, but that wasn't easy. I was just getting to the fight with Ares when Gabe's voice interrupted from the living room. "Hey, Sally! That meatloaf done yet or what?"**

**She closed her eyes. "He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles ... something about free appliances."**

The whole council laughed half-heartedly, but still worried.

"AWESOME!" Travis and Connor said simultaneously, high-fiving Percy.

"That is such a good prank!" Hermes said, Apollo nodding too.

**"Oh, yeah. About that..."**

**She managed a weak smile. "Just don't make him angrier, all right? Come on."**

**In the month I'd been gone, the apartment had turned into Gabeland. Garbage was ankle deep on the carpet. The sofa had been reupholstered in beer cans. Dirty socks and underwear hung off the lampshades.**

"EWWW!" Aphrodite screeched, scaring everyone.

"That… Ugh!" Annabeth scowled.

"That is disgusting!" Hermes and Apollo said in unison.

Poseidon and Nico sat there fuming

**Gabe and three of his big goony friends were playing poker at the table.**

**When Gabe saw me, his cigar dropped out of his mouth. His face got redder than lava. "You got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police—"**

**"He's not a fugitive after all," my mom interjected. "Isn't that wonderful, Gabe?"**

**Gabe looked back and forth between us. He didn't seem to think my homecoming was so wonderful.**

**"Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally," he growled.**

"What. Is. That. Supposed. To. Mean." Poseidon growled.

"Uncle, we can kill him later!" Apollo tried to calm Poseidon down.

**"Get me the phone. I'll call the cops."**

**"Gabe, no!"**

**He raised his eyebrows. "Did you just say 'no'?You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro."**

"I still don't get how he thinks you ruined the Camaro when you can't even drive." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Gabe is just stupid like that." Percy said.

Annabeth snorted. "Stupid? He doesn't even have a brain!"

"Assho–"

"Poseidon, Language!" Demeter scolded. "Eat some cereal and calm down."

"It's not the cereal; it's the dang disgusting man we're reading about!" Poseidon huffed.

**"But—"**

**He raised his hand, and my mother flinched.**

**For the first time, I realized something. Gabe had hit my mother.**

"WHAT?" Everyone not including Percy yelled, especially the goddesses.

Poseidon stood up, emanating fury. He began to shine in a golden light, forcing the demigods to look away.

"Poseidon, DON'T LEAVE!" Hera, Zeus and Hades yelled.

The golden light disappeared, but Poseidon was still clearly angry.

"Calm down, I'm sure Percy handled it," Hestia said, looking at Percy, who refused to talk.

Everyone just glared at him until he finally spoke. "Yeah, Gabe's gone. You'll see what happens soon."

Poseidon visibly relaxed and Hephaestus started reading again.

**I didn't know when, or how much. But I was sure he'd done it. Maybe it had been going on for years, when I wasn't around.**

**A balloon of anger started expanding in my chest. I came toward Gabe, instinctively taking my pen out of my pocket.**

"That's not going to do anything," Thalia mumbled under her breath.

**He just laughed. "What, punk? You gonna write on me? You touch me, and you are going to jail forever, you understand?"**

"For a second there, he kind of reminded me of Ares." Nico said darkly.

**"Hey, Gabe," his friend Eddie interrupted. "He's just a kid."**

**Gabe looked at him resentfully and mimicked in a falsetto voice: "Just a kid."**

**His other friends laughed like idiots.**

**"I'll be nice to you, punk." Gabe showed me his tobacco-stained teeth. "I'll give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out. After that, I call the police."**

**"Gabe!" my mother pleaded.**

**"He ran away," Gabe told her. "Let him stay gone."**

**I was itching to uncap Riptide, but even if I did, the blade wouldn't hurt humans. And Gabe, by the loosest definition, was human.**

**My mother took my arm. "Please, Percy. Come on. We'll go to your room."**

**I let her pull me away, my hands still trembling with rage.**

"I would have tortured him until he gets sent to Hades so that he can torture him." Thalia smirked evilly. "Maybe electrocute him a couple of times for good measure."

"I am kind of glad to call you my cousin." Percy said, Nico nodding.

"Oh and don't forget about your other cousin and boyfriend," Nico said with an evil smirk. "The one who can influence what torture methods are used."

The three bumped fists and laughed.

**My room had been completely filled with Gabe's junk. There were stacks of used car batteries, a rotting bouquet of sympathy flowers with a card from somebody who'd seen his Barbara Walters interview.**

**"Gabe is just upset, honey," my mother told me. "I'll talk to him later. I'm sure it will work out."**

**"Mom, it'll never work out. Not as long as Gabe's here."**

**She wrung her hands nervously. "I can ... I'll take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the fall, maybe there's another boarding school—"**

**"Mom."**

**She lowered her eyes. "I'm trying, Percy. I just... I need some time."**

**A package appeared on my bed. At least, I could've sworn it hadn't been there a moment before.**

"Oh, that sounds cool." Connor tried to lighten everyone's mood. It was not working.

**It was a battered cardboard box about the right size to fit a basketball. The address on the mailing slip was in my own handwriting:**

**The Gods**

**Mount Olympus**

**600th Floor,**

**Empire State Building**

**New York, NY**

**With best wishes,**

**PERCY JACKSON**

"OH… ITS… THE THING!" Connor exclaimed.

"Medusa's head, you mean," Annabeth corrected.

"THAT'S WHAT YOURE GOING TO DO!" Apollo and Hermes laughed.

"I wished he would have received more torture…" Poseidon grumbled.

"Oh, I'll insure that." Hades laughed manically, causing everyone to look at him oddly.

"Hehehe, it's going to be fun!" Nico exclaimed, thinking of torturing that idiot.

"Now I'm scared." Percy said.

"No need to thank me for sending you the head!" Zeus interrupted.

Everyone just rolled their eyes. "Whatever."

**Over the top in black marker, in a man's clear, bold print, was the address of our apartment, and the words: RETURN TO SENDER.**

**Suddenly I understood what Poseidon had told me on Olympus.**

**A package. A decision.**

**Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God.**

**I looked at my mother. "Mom, do you want Gabe gone?"**

**"Percy, it isn't that simple. I—"**

**"Mom, just tell me. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?"**

**She hesitated, then nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, Percy. I do. And I'm trying to get up my courage to tell him. But you can't do this for me. You can't solve my problems."**

"That's really sweet and all, but just plop the head in front of Gabe already!" Thalia complained.

"Yeah, I really wanted to see Gabe as a statue." Travis and Connor agreed.

**I looked at the box.**

**I couldsolve her problem. I wanted to slice that package open, plop it on the poker table, and take out what was inside. I could start my very own statue garden, right there in the living room.**

**"Well, that would be one cool statue garden."**

**That's what a Greek hero would do in the stories, I thought. That's what Gabe deserves.**

**But a hero's story always ended in tragedy. Poseidon had told me that.**

**I remembered the Underworld. I thought about Gabe's spirit drifting forever in the Fields of Asphodel, or condemned to some hideous torture behind the barbed wire of the Fields of Punishment—an eternal poker game, sitting up to his waist in boiling oil listening to opera music. Did I have the right to send someone there? Even Gabe?**

"Definitely!" Thalia and the Stoll brothers said.

"YES!" everyone else said, even Hestia.

**A month ago, I wouldn't have hesitated. Now ...**

**"I can do it," I told my mom. "One look inside this box, and he'll never bother you again."**

**She glanced at the package, and seemed to understand immediately. "No, Percy," she said, stepping away. "You can't."**

**"Poseidon called you a queen," I told her. "He said he hadn't met a woman like you in a thousand years."**

**Her cheeks flushed. "Percy—"**

**"You deserve better than this, Mom.**

"No," Poseidon said. "She deserves so much better."

**You should go to college, get your degree. You can write your novel, meet a nice guy maybe, live in a nice house. You don't need to protect me anymore by staying with Gabe. Let me get rid of him."**

**She wiped a tear off her cheek. "You sound so much like your father," she said. "He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea.**

"That's sweet!" Aphrodite cooed. "Who knew Poseidon could be so romantic?"

"Everyone." Several people chorused.

**He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand."**

"What's wrong with that?"

**Her multicolored eyes seemed to search inside me. "I think you know, Percy. I think you're enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I can't let a god take care of me ... or my son. I have to ... find the courage on my own. Your quest has reminded me of that."**

**We listened to the sound of poker chips and swearing, ESPN from the living room television.**

**"I'll leave the box," I said. "If he threatens you …"**

"Please, please, please let there be a Gabe statue in the world!" Connor and Travis pleaded as everyone chuckled.

**She looked pale, but she nodded. "Where will you go, Percy?"**

**"Half-Blood Hill."**

**"For the summer ... or forever?"**

**"I guess that depends."**

**We locked eyes, and I sensed that we had an agreement. We would see how things stood at the end of the summer.**

**She kissed my forehead. "You'll be a hero, Percy. You'll be the greatest of all."**

"Who knew she was actually right." Thalia mused.

"So you admit I'm the greatest hero!" Percy yelled in triumph.

"Thanks a lot Thalia," Annabeth sighed. "You just made Percy's ego larger than it already is."

"Woops," Thalia chuckled.

**I took one last look around my bedroom. I had a feeling I'd never see it again. Then I walked with my mother to the front door.**

**"Leaving so soon, punk?" Gabe called after me. "Good riddance."**

**I had one last twinge of doubt. How could I turn down the perfect chance to take revenge on him? I was leaving here without saving my mother.**

**"Hey, Sally," he yelled. "What about that meat loaf, huh?"**

**A steely look of anger flared in my mother's eyes, and I thought, just maybe, I was leaving her in good hands after all. Her own.**

**"The meat loaf is coming right up, dear," she told Gabe. "Meat loaf surprise."**

**She looked at me, and winked.**

**The last thing I saw as the door swung closed was my mother staring at Gabe, as if she were contemplating how he would look as a garden statue.**

"GARDEN STATUE!" the Stoll brothers yelled.

"That's the end of the chapter." Hephaestus noted.

"Hey, wait." Hades interrupted. "I have to go to the Underworld for just a bit. Urgent problems."

"Yeah, okay. Let's take a small break and we'll read the last chapter when he comes back." Zeus sighed. "Everyone can go resume their duties for a bit or just hang around, I guess."

"Let's play a card game," Percy suggested as the demigods walked out of the room.

"Nothing better to do anyways," Thalia shrugged, pulling out a deck of cards out of her pocket.


	24. Chapter 22

"Got any 5's?" Thalia asked monotonously.

"Go fishy…" Percy mumbled.

"Its go fish," Annabeth corrected.

"Blah, this is so boring!" Connor whined.

"Yeah, what now?" Travis asked.

"We could have a debate." Annabeth suggested.

"No!" Everyone said in unison.

The door creaked open, and Poseidon emerged.

"Is it time to go read?" Thalia asked.

"Um…no," Poseidon said, walking over to where Percy was sitting.

"Percy, please forgive me." Poseidon pleaded, sitting in front of Percy.

Percy looked Poseidon in the eye as if saying 'continue'.

"I'm truly sorry, Percy, I didn't mean what was said in the book." Poseidon said, confusing Percy.

"Huh?"

"About my 'wrongdoing.' Clearly, you've done a lot for everyone. And I'm just beginning to see it, I can already say that I'm so proud of you. It's obvious each one of your friends look up to you. But Percy, you know that I do love you, right?"

Percy thought for a moment, then said, "Yeah. Yeah, I do." He smiled and gave his unsuspecting father a hug.

"And I love you, too." Percy said before letting go.

Someone cleared their throat behind Poseidon.

"What?" Percy asked.

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Nico shouted.

"Hello awesome kids

Time to go read the cool book

Hades is so back," Apollo said, flashing a grin. "You like it? Of course you do!" he answered himself before walking back out.

"That was… interesting," Percy winced. Worst haiku ever.

Everyone stood up and filed out.

Then listened as Hades was muttering about silly mortals and traffic jams.

"Yay, we can stop listening to Hades rant…" Connor yawned.

"I'm going to read next," Ares interrupted, taking the book and turning to the right page.

"BE QUIET SO WE CAN READ!" Zeus yelled, making everyone quiet down.

"The next chapter is called **"The Prophecy Comes True,"**

* * *

"The Prophecy Comes True," Ares began,

**We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest.**

"Chalk that up for another reason why Percy's got a big head…" Thalia murmured.

"Hey! I do not." Percy objected.

"One might say you have a small head," Artemis said.

**According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.**

"I never really understood why they made the burial shrouds before you die. Seems kind of depressing." Nico said.

"This coming from a child who hangs out with the dead," Thalia mused.

"Now that is depressing," Connor and Travis said.

"Can we stop making fun of my child and start reading?" Hades grumbled.

Nico smiled widely. His father stood up for him!

**Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—gray silk with embroidered owls—I told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it.**

Annabeth and Athena both glared at Percy.

**She punched me and told me to shut up.**

**Being the son of Poseidon, I didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make my shroud.**

"This should be good," Thalia and Nico joked.

"Was it nice? Pretty? Was it sea-green with sea shells on them?" Poseidon eagerly asked question after question.

"Close," Percy wrinkled up his nose and laughed.

**They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.**

"Yup, close alright." Thalia smirked.

"That's not nice," Poseidon frowned as Ares grinned happily.

"Maybe I should have more children so Percy won't be lonely," Poseidon suggested.

"You wouldn't dare!" Zeus and Hades yelled, glaring at their brother.

"Just kidding," Poseidon grinned.

Percy frowned. "Aww…another sibling might be nice."

Nico smiled while the other gods looked at Percy as if he'd grown ten feet.

"You'll find out soon," Percy said. "No need to get your Toga twisted.

**It was fun to burn.**

"Really fun." Percy said.

**As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, I was surrounded by my old Hermes cabinmates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."**

Snickers were heard across the room. "Brave to the point of indigestion."

**The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive me for disgracing their dad.**

"That's right, punk!" Ares said with an evil grin. "You're so going to get it."

"Yes Ares, it's so manly to threaten young children!" Demeter rolled her eyes.

**That was okay with me.**

**Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that.**

Lots of Olympians glanced at Dionysus questioningly. "Someone's bitter…"

"Well, you don't have to deal with these brats all day long," Dionysus shrugged.

**In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday..."**

**I moved back into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely anymore. I had my friends to train with during the day. At night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn't quite sure about me yet, maybe he hadn't even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what I'd done.**

"Exceptionally proud!" Poseidon smiled at his son.

"Oh gee, what a nice father and son moment!" Dionysus said sarcasm. "Don't make me throw up."

Percy snorted. "No wonder you've stayed at Camp half-blood so long. No one wanted you up here."

"Oh burn…" Connor whispered to Travis.

"That was pretty hurtful," Nico snickered.

Dionysus glared at Percy intently. "Just you wait. Years from now when your bratty 12 year old self comes to camp half-blood, I'm going to torture you all day long,"

"Will you?" Poseidon threatened. "I'll be watching you everywhere you go."

All of a sudden, Nico looked at Thalia, and they both started laughing. Thalia whispered to Travis and Connor who fell on the floor laughing after. Everyone else looked at them oddly.

"What's so funny?" Hades asked, not wanting to be out of the loop.

"I'll be watching you everywhere you go," Nico mimicked, making them laugh even more.

"Poseidon, you sound like a –" Thalia said in between chuckles.

"-Stalker!" Connor finished, making majority of the people laugh.

Poseidon frowned. "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Sure you didn't!" Apollo winked.

"Man, that sounds creepy." Hermes grinned.

**As for my mother, she had a chance at a new life. Her letter arrived a week after I got back to camp. She told me Gabe had left mysteriously—disappeared off the face of the planet, in fact.**

Right after everyone managed to calm down, they burst out laughing again.

"I wonder where he disappeared off to!" Thalia said exaggeratedly.

"Gabe statue," Connor and Travis grinned.

**She'd reported him missing to the police, but she had a funny feeling they would never find him.**

**On a completely unrelated subject, she'd sold her first life-size concrete sculpture, entitled The Poker Player,to a collector, through an art gallery in Soho.**

"That is so awesome!"

"That would be a great way to earn money," Connor and Travis gave each other a knowing smile.

**She'd gotten so much money for it, she'd put a deposit down on a new apartment and made a payment on her first semester's tuition at NYU. The Soho gallery was clamoring for more of her work, which they called "a huge step forward in super-ugly neorealism."**

**But don't worry,my mom wrote. I'm done with sculpture. I've disposed of that box of tools you left me. It's time for me to turn to writing.**

"NOOO!" Connor whined.

"She could have given it to us!" Travis pouted. "We would have put it to good use."

Annabeth snorted. "You mean turning random people into statues? How is that good use?"

"Very useful!" Connor argued, Travis happily nodding.

**At the bottom, she wrote a P.S.: Percy, I've found a good private school here in the city. I've put a deposit down to hold you a spot, in case you want to enroll for seventh grade. You could live at home. But if you want to go year-round at Half-Blood Hill, I'll understand.**

"Aww… Your mom is so sweet!" Aphrodite squealed, making Poseidon smile.

Percy chuckled. "She's the best mom ever!"

Everyone began laughing because Percy said it in a very childish way.

**I folded the note carefully and set it on my bedside table. Every night before I went to sleep, I read it again, and I tried to decide how to answer her.**

**On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.**

"Oh man, the first time I saw that at camp, it was so awesome!" Nico exclaimed. "Best Fourth of July ever!"

**As Annabeth and I were spreading a picnic blanket,**

**Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.**

**"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know."**

**I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was my oldest friend.**

"You couldn't be sweeter if you were dipped in sugar," Aphrodite said.

"What about us?" Connor, Travis and Nico said at the same time.

"What about you?" Aphrodite smiled sweetly.

Thalia and Annabeth laughed. "You just got owned."

**Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.**

**I asked him where he was going to search first.**

**"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan …"**

**"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"**

**"Yeah."**

**"And you remembered your reed pipes?"**

**"Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."**

Everyone laughed.

"Annabeth's an old mama goat!" Nico snickered, but stopped when he got wacked in the head.

**But he didn't really sound annoyed.**

**He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway—nothing like the little runty boy I used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.**

"Well that's certainly an improvement," Nico said with a snicker.

**"Well," he said, "wish me luck."**

**He gave Annabeth another hug. He clapped me on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.**

**Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion,**

"Awe, the Nemean Lion wasn't so bad." Percy said, causing several of the Olympians to gape at him. "Was it Thalia?"

She shook her head with a slight smile.

**Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena)**

"I think it was obvious that he was a son of Athena," Annabeth stated.

"Not to me!" Percy argued.

"Well, you're not the brightest crayon in the box." Thalia said.

**crossing the Delaware.**

**"Hey, Grover," I called.**

**He turned at the edge of the woods.**

**"Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas."**

**Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.**

**"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.**

**I tried to believe it. The fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years ... well, I decided not to think about that. Grover would be the first. He had to be.**

Percy smiled. And he was.

**July passed.**

**I spent my days devising new strategies for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands.**

"Doesn't that get boring after awhile?" Apollo asked.

"Not really. Playing with the Ares cabin is always interesting." Percy said.

**I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava.**

"Now that's an accomplishment," the Stoll twins said.

**From time to time, I'd walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle. I tried to convince myself that its prophecy had come to completion.**

"But alas," Hermes said. "It has not."

**You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.**

**Been there, done that—even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades.**

Ares frowned as Hades had a tiny smile on his face. It wasn't me.

**You shall find what was stolen, and see it safe returned.**

**Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades's oily head.**

Hades glared darkly. "Oily head? I am offended!"

Percy laughed nervously, rubbing his neck. "Uh, I didn't really know you would read my thoughts… Sorry, Lord Hades."

**You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.**

Again the mood got surly at this.

**This line still bothered me. Ares had pretended to be my friend, then betrayed me. That must be what the Oracle meant...**

"Something doesn't seem right…" Athena said uncertainly. "I don't think that's it."

**And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.**

**I had failed to save my mom, but only because I'd let her save herself, and I knew that was the right thing.**

**So why was I still uneasy?**

**The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.**

**The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads.**

**I got my own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer, I was glad the firelight covered my blushing. **

The Stolls snickered.

**The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.**

"Oh, that's cool." Hermes stated.

"Cool? IT'S AWESOME!" Poseidon grinned.

"You only say that because it has a trident in front of it," Demeter rolled her eyes.

"Exactly!" Poseidon smiled smugly.

"Well, you'd think it was awesome if it had a sheaf of wheat on the front," Annabeth said bracingly.

"Hmm," Demeter said. "I suppose your right."

**"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced.**

**"This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"**

"I'm so proud of you, son." Poseidon told Percy, who turned red.

**The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.**

**I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year.**

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds so sad." Thalia said.

**The next morning, I found a form letter on my bedside table.**

**I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name wrong:**

**Dear_Peter Johnson ,**

**If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.**

**Have a nice day!**

"Well, that was an interesting letter…" Hephaestus said amusingly.

"That was mean," Artemis told Dionysus.

Dionysus shrugged. "So?"

"You didn't even get his name right," Apollo said.

Dionysus huffed. "Whatever.

**Mr. D (Dionysus)**

**Camp Director, Olympian Council #12**

**That's another thing about ADHD. Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face.**

**Summer was over, and I still hadn't answered my mother, or the camp, about whether I'd be staying. Now I had only a few hours to decide.**

**The decision should have been easy. I mean, nine months of hero training or nine months of sitting in a classroom—duh.**

"Hero training!" Connor, Nico and Travis said in unison.

"Nico, you don't even stay at Camp." Thalia said. "Though now that I think about it, you actually do, though it's only during summer."

Making Percy and Nico blush.

"That's a hard decision…" Annabeth bit her lip.

"Hard for you, easy for everyone else," Percy corrected.

**But there was my mom to consider. For the first time, I had the chance to live with her for a whole year, without Gabe. I had a chance be at home and knock around the city in my free time. I remembered what Annabeth had said so long ago on our quest: The real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not.**

**I thought about the fate of Thalia, daughter of Zeus.**

"Gee, thanks Percy." Thalia said. "I get mentioned and it's because you think about monsters killing me."

"Well, mainly killing me." Percy said.

"That's what I said."

"Whatever."

**I wondered how many monsters would attack me if I left Half-Blood Hill. If I stayed in one place for a whole school year, without Chiron or my friends around to help me, would my mother and I even survive until the next summer?**

"Chances are, you probably wouldn't survive." Athena noted.

"I can be optimistic, cant I?" Percy pouted.

Nico teased. "You and optimistic do not go together!"

"How on earth did you even make it through the school year?" Thalia asked.

Percy shrugged, "I gots skillz." Thalia snorted and Annabeth laughed.

She muttered one word to Thalia: Tyson

**That was assuming the spelling tests and five-paragraph essays didn't kill me. I decided I'd go down to the arena and do some sword practice. Maybe that would clear my head.**

**The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.**

**Don't think about leaving yet, I told myself. Just train.**

**I got to the sword-fighters arena and found that Luke had had the same idea. His gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. He was working solo, whaling on battle dummies with a sword I'd never seen before. It must've been a regular steel blade, because he was slashing the dummies' heads right off, stabbing through their straw-stuffed guts. His orange counselor's shirt was dripping with sweat. His expression was so intense, his life might've really been in danger.**

All the demigods turned sad at the mention of Luke.

"He takes his training seriously, unlike you." Hera said.

"I take training seriously!" Percy protested.

**I watched, fascinated, as he disemboweled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armor.**

**They were only dummies, but I still couldn't help being awed by Luke's skill. The guy was an incredible fighter. It made me wonder, again, how he possibly could've failed at his quest.**

**Finally, he saw me, and stopped mid-swing. "Percy."**

**"Um, sorry," I said, embarrassed. "I just—"**

**"It's okay," he said, lowering his sword. "Just doing some last-minute practice."**

**"Those dummies won't be bothering anybody any more."**

**Luke shrugged. "We build new ones every summer."**

**Now that his sword wasn't swirling around, I could see something odd about it. The blade was two different types of metal—one edge bronze, the other steel.**

Percy winced, though no one noticed, except Nico.

**Luke noticed me looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."**

**"Backbiter?"**

**Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."**

The gods sucked in a collective breath.

**I thought about what Chiron had told me when I started my quest—that a hero should never harm mortals unless absolutely necessary.**

"He shouldn't have a weapon like that," Hephaestus informed.

"Yeah…" Connor agreed.

"Why would he have a weapon like that…?" Athena muttered under her breath. "There's got to be something brewing here."

**"I didn't know they could make weapons like that."**

**"They probably can't," Luke agreed. "It's one of a kind."**

**He gave me a tiny smile, then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?"**

**I don't know why I hesitated.**

"Instincts," Nico noted.

"I'm so stupid." Percy muttered.

"You just noticed?" Thalia asked innocently.

"Shut up. Now's not the time for your jokes." Percy glared.

Everyone noticed Percy's change of attitude.

**I should've felt relieved that Luke was being so friendly. Ever since I'd gotten back from the quest, he'd been acting a little distant. I was afraid he might resent me for all the attention I'd gotten.**

Or maybe he resented me for being alive, Percy thought bitterly.

"**You think it's a good idea?" I asked. "I mean—"**

**"Aw, come on." He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six-pack of Cokes. "Drinks are on me."**

**I stared at the Cokes, wondering where the heck he'd gotten them. There were no regular mortal sodas at the camp store. No way to smuggle them in unless you talked to a satyr, maybe.**

**Of course, the magic dinner goblets would fill with anything you want, but it just didn't taste the same as a real Coke, straight out of the can.**

**Sugar and caffeine. My willpower crumbled.**

"Mine would have too," Apollo agreed.

"We know," Artemis said. "Guys have no willpower whatsoever."

"That isn't true!" Poseidon argued, Zeus and Hades nodding.

"Think what you will," Demeter said.

**"Sure," I decided. "Why not?"**

**We walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot. All the monsters with any sense must've been taking siestas in their nice cool caves.**

**We found a shady spot by the creek where I'd broken Clarisse's spear during my first capture the flag game. We sat on a big rock, drank our Cokes, and watched the sunlight in the woods.**

**After a while Luke said, "You miss being on a quest?"**

**"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?"**

**Luke raised an eyebrow.**

**"Yeah, I miss it," I admitted.**

"Don't worry, you won't miss it that much later." Nico said.

"Are you implying something?" Apollo asked.

"Am I implying that Percy won't get a break from quests anytime soon and that he's going to be threatened with danger fairly often for the next few years? Nah,"

**"You?"**

**A shadow passed over his face.**

**I was used to hearing from the girls how good-looking Luke was, but at the moment, he looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was gray in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual. I could imagine him as an old man.**

**"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he told me. "Ever since Thalia ... well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'"**

"Is this what he really felt?" Hermes asked hesitantly.

No one dared to answer.

**He crumpled his Coke can and threw into the creek, which really shocked me. One of the first things you learn at Camp Half-Blood is: Don't litter. You'll hear from the nymphs and the naiads. They'll get even. You'll crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.**

"Eww!" Aphrodite scrunched up her face in disgust.

Poseidon, however, cheered. "Protect the waterways!" He said, causing everyone to smile on some degree.

**"The heck with laurel wreaths," Luke said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic."**

**"You make it sound like you're leaving."**

**Luke gave me a twisted smile. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you down here to say good-bye."**

Percy stiffened. He didn't like to be reminded of this.

"What does he mean?" Hermes asked frantically.

Athena's eyes widened in understanding. "No… Why would he switch sides?"

At this, everyone burst into arguments.

"CONTINUE READING!" Zeus screamed on top of the noise. "We must know what happens next!"

**He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.**

"A scorpion?" Connor asked skeptically.

**I started to go for my pen.**

**"I wouldn't," Luke cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."**

**"Luke, what—"**

**Then it hit me.**

**You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.**

**"You," I said.**

**He stood calmly and brushed off his jeans.**

**The scorpion paid him no attention. It kept its beady black eyes on me, clamping its pincers as it crawled onto my shoe.**

"No, no, no," Poseidon whispered.

While Nico repeatedly muttered, "He's not dead"

**"I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it—the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."**

**I couldn't believe this was happening.**

**"Luke ... you're talking about our parents," I said.**

**He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Western civilization' is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."**

"It's all my fault" Sobbed Hermes.

"It's not all your fault." Thalia finally spoke after a moment of silence. "I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE! But I was stuck in a tree and…" Thalia's voice cracked.

"I didn't even know…" Annabeth quietly spoke. "I w-wasn't there f-for him…"

"Be Quiet!" Percy snapped. "It's no one's fault! He chose his fate."

"We can still prevent this, can't we?" Nico stood up, "I mean, we were brought back in time for a reason. This has to be it! We can still change this. Am I right?"

All the gods looked at each other nervously.

"Am I right?" Nico repeated louder.

"Let's just finish this chapter, okay?" Zeus said.

Ares began reading.

**"You're as crazy as Ares."**

"Crazier…" Aphrodite said with a love-y dove-y smile.

**His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."**

**The scorpion crawled onto my pants leg.**

**There had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think.**

**"Kronos," I said. "That's who you serve."**

**The air got colder.**

**"You should be careful with names," Luke warned.**

**"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."**

**Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."**

Nico looked at Percy seriously. "You would have never joined, right?"

Percy was surprised. Nico wasn't acting like his usual self. "I would rather be in Tartarus than join that scumbag."

Nico smiled. "I know you would never join him." Then kissed Percy.

"Than why'd you ask me?" Percy asked.

"I felt like it needed to be asked. There are some here who don't yet know of your heroic capabilities." He burst out laughing at the end and Percy grimaced, when he remembered all his quests.

**"He's brainwashing you, Luke."**

**"You're wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I'd done, thatwas the best he could think up."**

"I…" Hermes sniffed. "I didn't know he felt this way…"

"No one did." Annabeth whispered.

**"That's not an easy quest," I said. "Hercules did it."**

**"Exactly," Luke said. "Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this"—he pointed angrily at his scar—"and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades's helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."**

"I say we destroy him before he can attempt to steal my master bolt!" Zeus spoke up.

"Zeus!" Demeter scolded. "You can't go around killing demigods!"

"But he's going to steal my bolt!" Zeus argued.

"Well, go update security." Athena resolved.

"Plus," Apollo added, "He hasn't done anything yet. We still have time. We could give him an original quest of his own. I'm sure it'll work out, Hermes."

**The scorpion was sitting on my knee now, staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried to keep my voice level. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"**

**Luke's smile wavered. "I ... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt— Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight.**

"Ares is a really easy person to bribe," Aphrodite admitted.

"First of all, it didn't happen yet. Second of all, he bribed me with war! Babe, you know I can't resist that." Ares stated.

"Babe, you know it doesn't make you smarter if you use the word 'babe'." Poseidon said in a matter-of-fact voice.

**Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence." Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. "Afterward, the Lord of the Titans ... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way—from Ares down to Tartarus."**

**"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."**

**"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."**

"We, we, we! Doesn't he have a mind of his own! Luke, what happened to the leader I once knew?" Thalia grumbled.

**"The flying shoes were cursed," I said. "They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus."**

**"And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which wasn't part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse."**

Some people couldn't help but laugh despite the situation.

"Poor Grover," Thalia commented.

"At least he prevented me from being pulled down into a lonely and dark abyss." Percy sighed. "Remind me to thank him when we get back."

"I miss Grover, I wish he was here with us." Annabeth said.

Nico looked around the room as if he was expecting a goat to fall out of thin air again.

**Luke looked down at the scorpion, which was now sit ting on my thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."**

Poseidon and Nico stiffened at this. He's right here, he's still alive, he chanted in his head.

"Dad, Nico don't forget that I'm right here." Percy comforted.

"I know… I just…" Poseidon and Nico took a deep breath and said simultaneously. "It's hard to hear you suffer."

"Aww!" Demeter and Aphrodite said, as Percy blushed.

**"Thalia gave her life to save you," I said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"**

**"Don't speak of Thalia!" he shouted. "The gods le ther die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."**

Thalia flinched.

"I didn't let her die." Zeus frowned. "I preserved her life apparently."

**"You're being used, Luke. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."**

**"I've been used?" Luke's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest—the ones who serve him."**

**"Call off the bug," I said. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself"**

**Luke smiled. "Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."**

**"Luke—"**

**"Good-bye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."**

**He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.**

**The scorpion lunged.**

**I swatted it away with my hand and uncapped my sword. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in midair.**

"Good job, Percy," Apollo said.

But Athena held her hand up. "I wouldn't congratulate him yet."

**I was about to congratulate myself until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The thing had gotten me after all.**

Most of the Olympians were stunned. They were all thinking the same thing. How'd he survive?

Nico squeezed Percy's hand until his knuckles turned white, but he had to know Percy was still alive and there.

Ow, Percy mouthed. .

**My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought. It healed me before.**

**I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand, but nothing seemed to happen. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.**

**Sixty seconds,Luke had told me.**

**I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster. Nobody would ever know what had happened.**

"That would really suck." Thalia said.

"No really?" Percy rolled his eyes.

"No need to be sarcastic!"

"You're sarcastic all the time!" Percy retorted.

**My legs felt like lead. My forehead was burning. I stumbled toward the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.**

**"Help," I croaked. "Please ..."**

**Two of them took my arms, pulling me along. I remember making it to the clearing, a counselor shouting for help, a centaur blowing a conch horn.**

**Then everything went black.**

**I woke with a drinking straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like liquid chocolate-chip cookies. Nectar.**

Poseidon and Nico took a deep breath and calmed down.

"I –" Percy opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when Nico kissed him on the lips.

Everyone was stunned at the randomness.

"WOOT GO PERCY!" Apollo wolf-whistled, making Percy blush as they were still kissing.

**I opened my eyes.**

**I was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, my right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Annabeth sat next to me, holding my nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on my forehead.**

**"Here we are again," I said.**

**"You idiot," Annabeth said, which is how I knew she was overjoyed to see me conscious.**

**"You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing ..."**

**"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."**

**He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I hadn't noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.**

**"How are you feeling?" he asked.**

**"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."**

**"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."**

**Between sips of nectar, I told them the story.**

**The room was quiet for a long time.**

**"I can't believe that Luke ..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I canbelieve it. May the gods curse him... He was never the same after his quest."**

**Annabeth's expression turned hard.**

"It's my fault," Hermes suddenly spoke. "I gave him the quest that changed him. I could have at least given him an original one."

"Hermes, stop blaming yourself."

**"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once."**

**"Luke is out there right now," I said. "I have to go after him."**

**Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—"**

**"Won't even talk about Kronos," I snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"**

**"Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."**

**I didn't like it, but part of me suspected Chiron was right.**

**One look at my hand, and I knew I wasn't going to be sword fighting any time soon. "Chiron ... your prophecy from the Oracle ... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? And Annabeth?"**

**Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—"**

**"You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"**

**His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you …"**

**Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.**

"Oh man! I wanted to know what he was going to say!" Connor whined.

Percy looked at Connor funnily, "You know what he was going to say, though."

"Well, it'd be nice to hear it here."

**"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!"**

**He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."**

"And here we are, learning about the future." Percy added.

"We could be changing history…"

"Major brain twist," Travis said.

**"We can't just sit back and do nothing," I said.**

**"We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But youmust be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."**

**"Assuming I live that long."**

**Chiron put his hand on my ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice..." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me.**

**"But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision."**

**I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told me there could be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.**

**"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."**

**He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear ... when ever you're ready, they're here."**

**"Who's here?" I asked.**

**Nobody answered.**

Percy and Annabeth snickered, "Nobody," They said together.

**Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.**

**Annabeth studied the ice in my drink.**

**"What's wrong?" I asked her.**

**"Nothing." She set the glass on the table. "I … just took your advice about something. You … um … need anything?"**

**"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."**

**"Percy, that isn't a good idea."**

"When does he ever care," Nico chuckled.

"Well, that just means I'm daring!" Percy retorted.

"Or stupid," Thalia said.

**I slid my legs out of bed. Annabeth caught me before I could crumple to the floor. A wave of nausea rolled over me.**

**"I'm fine," I insisted. I didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Luke was out there planning to destroy the Western world.**

**I managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Annabeth. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance.**

**By the time we reached the porch, my face was beaded with sweat. My stomach had twisted into knots. But I had managed to make it all the way to the railing.**

"That is sad," Apollo snorted.

"Well, I just got stung by a deadly scorpion!" Percy pouted.

**It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.**

**"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked me.**

**"I don't know."**

**I told her I got the feeling Chiron wanted me to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but I wasn't sure that's what I wanted. I admitted I'd feel bad about leaving her alone, though, with only Clarisse for company….**

**Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."**

**I stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"**

**She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.**

**"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him ... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided ... we'd give it another try."**

"I'm proud of you, Annabeth," Athena said lovingly.

**"That took guts."**

**She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least … not without sending me an Iris-message?"**

**I managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."**

"That is so true," Nico sadly with the book.

**"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"**

Connor and Travis snorted.

**Meanwhile, Annabeth couldn't help but snicker. Well, we did sneak off without a quest.**

**"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."**

**She held out her hand. I shook it.**

**"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told me. "Keep your eyes open."**

**"You too, Wise Girl."**

**I watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.**

**For the first time at camp, I felt truly alone. I looked out at Long Island Sound and I remembered my father saying, The sea does not like to be restrained.**

**I made my decision.**

**I wondered, if Poseidon were watching, would he approve of my choice?**

"I would approve your decision no matter what," Poseidon said confidently.

**"I'll be back next summer," I promised him. "I'll survive until then. After all, I am your son." I asked Argus to take me down to cabin three, so I could pack my bags for home.**

"The end," Percy closed the book, looking relieved.

Athena sighed, looking at Annabeth for a long time. Everyone looked at Athena in confusion and Annabeth stared at Percy with a "You-wont-get-away-from-me-that-easily" face. Meanwhile, Percy stared at nothing specific, probably thinking really hard.

Athena scowled at the incompetent son of the sea, then averted her eyes back to her daughter. "You have a really weak son, Poseidon. His fatal flaw will be the death of him one day."

"Wow thanks," Percy said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I really like being told that!" he lowered himself into his seat farther in a moody way.

"Okay, enough excitements for today. We'll wrap up everything tomorrow. Go to sleep, demigods." Zeus grumbled.

"Aww… I think I'm too excited to go to sleep!" Connor exclaimed.

"Why are you excited?" Thalia yawned sleepily.

"We're on Olympus talking with our parents!"

"We have been for like the past week if you haven't noticed…" Percy said.

"He's hopeless," Thalia said, as she pulled Connor out the door by his ear.

"Good night!" Nico, Travis, Percy, and Annabeth said simultaneously then walked out the room.

"Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day," Zeus sighed. He didn't exactly realize how troublesome teens could be until now.


	25. Spending The Day With The Gods

"Today everyone will spend time with their godly parents, alright?" Apollo asked excitedly.

A chorus of 'yes' and 'whatever's rang throughout the room.

"And Zeus, don't kill any mortals today," Hera added, causing the demigods to laugh warily.

"She means it too," Poseidon muttered to the half-bloods.

Hera just looked at Zeus seriously.

"Fine!" Zeus relented, causing multiple snickers throughout the room.

Percy and Poseidon decided to hang out in Atlantis. Hades, Nico, and Demeter went to the underworld to meet Persephone. Thalia and Zeus decided to have some 'fun' in the sky – much to Thalia's mortification, while Connor, Travis, Hermes, Apollo and Ares decided to played pranks on people.

Dionysus went back to camp half-blood for awhile and Annabeth and Athena stayed on Olympus so Athena and Annabeth could talk architecture. Artemis decided to go meet her hunters and Hera, Hestia and Aphrodite relaxed, waiting for 3:00 to arrive.

* * *

**Percy Pov**

Dad and I decided to go to Atlantis to 'hang out' and have some father and son bonding time. Yes, I am aware that that sounds weird, but everything is weird with gods, right?

When we arrived, we ran into Triton and Amphitrite. I looked at dad, my eyes asking if he told her about me, and he responded by nodding guiltily.

"Who is this with you?" Amphitrite wondered suspiciously. Turns out going back a few years doesn't make her warm up to you.

Poseidon sighed, and said "This is…"

"Peter. My name is Peter Johnson." I blurted hoping I was a good liar, no matter what Annabeth said. I mentally face palmed myself. I have officially been plagued with the Dionysus disease. I mean really? Did I really just think of Peter Johnson? Dad just looked at me oddly, but didn't say anything. It was better if Amphitrite really didn't know who I was. She would either think we were crazy, or go ballistic. I prefer neither.

"Nice to meet you, Peter," Triton mumbled.

"Do you know who your god parent is?" Amphitrite asked, mainly looking at Poseidon and not me.

I shook my head, glancing at Poseidon.

"Lord Poseidon just agreed to hang out with me today and told me I could come see how wonderful Atlantis is." I lied, putting on a genuine smile. Pfft, who said I couldn't lie?

Poseidon nodded. "It's part of a new plan Chiron made Zeus go along with: we hang out with a camper for a day, do whatever we can."

"Just don't get to used to having the filthy half-breeds around," Amphitrite muttered to Triton. "And don't let them touch my things." She added looking pointedly at me.

Dad agreed hastily and we watched as the two swam away.

I let out a sigh and swam inside with dad beside me.

He snorted and asked "Peter Johnson?"

"Blame Dionysus; it was the first thing that popped into my head, unfortunately." I shrugged.

"Do you think this lie will work?" He asked me warily.

"Not at all!" I told him.

"Thanks for having so much faith in me," He said sarcastically.

* * *

**Nico, Demeter and Hades**

"Hello, Persephone" Nico greeted.

"Who is this?" Persephone asked.

"Persephone, this is Nico Di Angelo," Hades answered.

Persephone's eyes widened. "Your son? Nico? But how is he… He's so much older than before. I swear he was only the age of…"

"Yeah yeah… We get it." Nico rolled his eyes.

"I always knew you were going to be a troubled and unmannered brat." Persephone muttered.

"Okay dear, calm down. Why don't you go eat some cereal?" Demeter asked soothingly.

"I don't want any of your cereal! You always make me eat those bran cereals, I want some unhealthy cereal like frosted flakes or cinnamon toast crunch for once!" Persephone snapped.

"Fine, no need with the attitude," Demeter huffed.

"Did she eat some magic mushrooms from the garden or is she naturally crazy?" Nico wondered.

"I. AM. NOT. CRAZY." Persephone fumed.

"She scares me, dad." Nico joked, whispering to Hades and edged swiftly out of the line of fire.

"Same here, son." Hades smiled, playing along.

* * *

**Thalia and Zeus**

Thalia bit her lip. "No way am I jumping down!"

"Oh don't be silly, you can't be that scared can you?" Zeus asked.

"I'm afraid of heights!" Thalia exclaimed, trying not to look down below, where the cars looked like ants. "I'm not doing this!" She squeezed her eyes tight.

"All you need is a little shove." Zeus smiled evilly, Thalia could hear him take a step near her.

"You wouldn't dare! What kind of dad are you!" Thalia whined, peeping through her fingers.

"Sheesh, you can float in the air for Hades' sake." Zeus snickered, thinking about how he used his brother's name.

"Not. Going. To. Happen."

Zeus pushed Thalia off the edge, watching her plummet down below.

"Sorry!" he called down.

Thalia closed her eyes, not wanting to see anything at all. What kind of dad is he, pushing their children off platforms high in the sky? Air rushed all about, making it cool and airy. Curiosity getting the better of her, she peeked and saw that she was actually floating in the sky! Somehow, the air was holding her up and it was as if she was standing on a solid platform.

"I told you, you wouldn't become a bug on the windshield of the world." A voice sounded behind her.

"I... T-take m-me back!" Thalia whimpered.

Zeus shook his head disappointedly then placed a hand on her shoulder and teleported them down into the city.

POOF!

* * *

**Travis PoV**

"Anyone think of anything yet?" I asked.

"I'm stumped." Connor sighed. "And I'm never stumped!"

"Man, wish we had a child of Athena here." Apollo said.

"If we had a child of Athena here, they wouldn't even let us do any pranks!" I rolled my eyes.

-Jezabel Raewin Idea- (She seems to have a lot of ideas, right? I'm grateful to her)

"You're right," Everyone agreed.

We thought some more.

"We could still – nope, never mind, Hera would kill us." Apollo said.

"Hold the phone," Apollo said, suddenly sitting ramrod straight.

"I am," dad said, as Connor and I snickered. "See?" He waved his blackberry/caduceus in front of his brother's face.

"I got it! Okay, here's the plan," He whispered it to us and Ares leaned in close to hear.

"This is gonna be sweet!"

* * *

**Third POV:**

A group of what looked like teens lounged in the park where the muses held weekly concerts.

There were three of them lounging and talking about their lives, like friends getting to know each other. One of the boys was tall with slightly pointed ears, had upturned eyebrows, sandy colored hair and blue eyes. The other had golden hair, golden eyes and you could tell just by looking at him that he was special. His laugh was musical as it rung throughout the little park.

The last boy looked nearly out of place; his muscles were much bigger than the other two's, and his hair was black. He chuckled as he looked around waiting for a sign.

"A-man, quit it, you'll give us away," the Golden haired boy whispered to the black haired one.

"A-man" just watched the people around him, there were minor gods walking all around, enjoying the view of the city during the day, listening to the bird singing cheerfully all around them.

Just then, "A-man's" buddy with the elfish features stood up and started doing handstands and tricks. The first stage has begun. "A-man" thought to himself. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a crouching figure sneak up the stairs to the throne room. A smile played on A-man's lips.

Hermes sent a feather floating through the sky then laughed along with Connor from the bushes as he saw Apollo and Ares watch Travis use his hidden talents to attract the attention of the park-goers. Hermes smiled as he looked between his two sons. He nudged Connor and motioned toward the steps.

"Let's do this," Hermes said with a grin.

"After you, dad," Connor said.

Hermes and Connor headed up into the throne room. They walked through one of the rooms behind Hera's chair and down the long corridor past Athena's library where she and Annabeth were talking animatedly about something that Hermes didn't quite hear, took a left, a right, another right and then stopped in front of a door.

"You've got the supplies right?" Connor asked and Hermes grinned.

"You know it," he said as they walked into Artemis' room. Hermes laughed as he watched Connor gape at everything in the room. Hermes liked his sister's room. Where Apollo's was all gold and shining suns, Artemis' was silver with shining moons and stars. On the walls she had multiple heads of animals and spoils of war. Her ceiling was sparkling with numerous constellations that had been there for longer than Apollo and Artemis had been arguing.

"Here," Hermes said, snapping his son out of his silent reverie. "Don't forget to spread it evenly." He pressed the bottle of rainbow colored powder into his son's hand.

Connor shook his head comically as he said, "Right, yeah. Okay."

Just then Apollo came waltzing through the door. "How's it going?"

"Great, now take this and work your magic," Hermes said handing Apollo the gold glitter.

(Yup, that prank was ALL of Jezabel Raewin's Idea. All credit to her, and go check out her stories)

The group came out laughing and Apollo had gold glitter all over him.

"This is going to be hilarious when she goes into her room," Apollo laughed.

"Just wondering, but, wouldn't Artemis like kill us?" Connor piped up.

"It doesn't help that she hates all guys." Travis added.

"She can't kill us!" Apollo pointed to himself, Hermes and Ares.

"But she can kill me and Connor," Travis said.

"It's worth it, right?" Hermes said.

"Definitely!" Connor and Travis said in unison.

"What now? We still have like an hour left." Apollo said.

"Hey, anyone want to mess with the desk guy downstairs?" Connor asked.

Since everyone was kind of tired or didn't care, they all agreed.

Apollo went up to the security guard without a disguise with everyone else following close behind.

"Hello George!" Apollo greeted in a horrible British accent that made the security guard wince.

"My name is not George, sir."

"Yeah, okay George. My name is Apollo, God of music, poetry, plague, oracles, sun, medicine, light and knowledge. But you know? You can call me Fred for now." Apollo beamed.

The security guy dropped his pen, and his jaw was wide open.

"You're the Apollo?"

"Did you think I was Aphrodite? I know I'm as handsome as she is pretty, but no need to get us mixed up. Just treat me like any other mortal." Apollo said. "Actually, on second thought, treat me like I'm the most awesome god in the universe, which I am."

"Someone has a big ego…" Travis muttered.

"Anyways, Can I have the key to go up to the 700th floor?" Connor interrupted loudly.

"We d-don't have a 700th f-floor." The guy stuttered.

"Listen here, punk!" Ares spoke up. "We want the key to the 700th floor, and we want it now!"

"But…"

"Okay dude with the funny hat, everyone here knows that there is a 700th floor. Do you think we're stupid?" Hermes said.

"N-no sir. I swear I don't know about a 700th floor!"

Looking back at Travis, Connor nudged him to distract the guy. He silently nodded his head with understanding and caused a weird disruption in the middle of the lobby. Meanwhile, Connor sneaked behind and swiped the 600th floor key from his desk. Time to have a little fun.

**Travis PoV**

Connor signaled me to distract, and after all these years, we've learnt to never doubt each other and just do. I ran to the middle of the lobby, and began dancing and doing crazy tricks. A lot of eyes followed me as I caused a commotion. I beckoned Apollo to play some music, and so he took a guitar behind his back (Who knows where it was from) and began playing. Some mortals began clapping and cheering, but most were annoyed. I mean, I would be too if I was here for boring work.

"Hey! Young man, stop causing disruptions in the lobby!" The security guy called to me.

I looked back towards Connor and saw that he put his thumbs up, meaning I can stop. Sighing, I ran back to my idiotic twin brother. He's younger just in case you're wondering.

**Connor PoV**

"Hey security dude," I whispered to him. "Could we atleast have the 600th floor key then? We have Apollo, Hermes and Ares here, just so you know, and we're demigods."

"Okay, let me just… I swear I left it here!"

"You know, if you lose it, the gods will be angry." I commented, making him sweat terribly.

"Very angry," Travis added for good measure.

"So angry that they might take their anger out on a certain security guard with a weird hat," I winked.

"I d-don't k-know where it w-went!" the man worried, searching all over his desk. "I'm sorry Lord Apollo, Lord Hermes, and Lord Ares. Please f-forgive me!" he begged.

Travis and I tried not to crack up, while Ares looked bored, and Apollo and Hermes acted very angry and serious. The guy's face morphed into horror; it was hilarious! Suddenly, Apollo burst out laughing and took the card from me, placing it back on the desk.

"Its okay, I think I'll just teleport up there." He smiled.

You could tell the guy's face was turning all red and he looked mortified.

**Thalia and Zeus**

"What do you want to do now?" Zeus asked, walking through the city.

Thalia thought for a moment. "I'm hungry; can we go get a hot dog?"

Zeus looked at Thalia weirdly. "Are you sure hot dogs taste good?"

"Yeah, hotdogs are fantastic!"

"Okay, if you think so." Zeus said uncertainly.

Thalia pointed to a food stand nearby and told Zeus to go order some.

"I need two dogs that are hot?" Zeus asked the mortal operating the stand.

"You mean two hotdogs?" he asked.

"Yes, isn't that what I said?" Zeus rolled his eyes, irritated.

The guy gave him the hot dogs and Zeus quickly paid with mortal cash.

"This doesn't look like a hot dog," Zeus told Thalia.

"This is definitely a hotdog. What'd you think it looked like, a dog that's hot?" Thalia laughed.

"Yes." Zeus said seriously.

"Oh…" Thalia said uncomfortably. "Well, try it."

Zeus cautiously took a bite. "Holy gods, this is delicious!" he exclaimed.

Just as he was about to finish, he was interrupted by a dog barking loudly on his foot. Irritated, Zeus shook the dog off, but it would not go away.

"I demand that you leave before I zap you with lightning!" Zeus commanded the dog.

"I don't think it understands you," Thalia stifled a laugh. "You can't just threaten to zap a dog, trust me."

"Get this mutt off of me!" Zeus glared at the dog.

Thalia bent down to the dog and let it sniff her hand. "Good boy," she said as Zeus watched with mild curiosity and slight annoyance at the mutt. She fed the dog a piece of her hotdog and he trotted away happily.

Thalia took her father into a random store nearby and closed the door. "There, now the dog won't bother you even if he comes back, but he'll probably find another person to get food off of."

Zeus nodded in satisfaction.

"Yo dawg, what's up?" a teenager asked from behind them.

"The sky is up…" Zeus said a matter-of-factly.

"Uh… Okay. Why dun we get you a new outfit?" the guy said, eyeing Zeus' suit in disgust.

Before he could protest, the teenager dragged him to the back of the store.

What a wannabe, Thalia thought as she plopped down on the couch.

**Percy and Poseidon**

"Where are you from? How'd you get so close to Poseidon?" Triton asked.

"How old are you?" Amphitrite added. "Do you want anything to eat?"

Amphitrite's mood swim around the castle must have improved her mood or she might have been trying a different tactic to get the boy out of her castle as she tried to overwhelm him with questions.

Percy rubbed his neck nervously and looked at his wrist. "Oh look at the time! I must go, bye!"

"Goodbye, Amphitrite! 'Bye Triton!" Poseidon said as they both hurriedly swam off.

"But he doesn't even have a watch…" Triton mumbled.

"Well, that went well…" Percy said sarcastically as they surfaced in the water.

"Yup, that was very fun."

"Oh gods, I didn't even realize that we were at camp half-blood!" Percy exclaimed happily. "I sure miss this place…"

"Let's relax for awhile," Poseidon suggested, making 2 fishing rods appear.

They enjoyed the peace and quiet while sitting on the dock, casting their line into the water.

My lord has caught me! I feel so honored! A voice sounded in the cool sea water as Percy wheeled his line in.

"Well, that was weird…" Percy laughed as he let the fish go.

"They do that all the time," Poseidon chuckled.

A twig snapped behind them and they turned around quickly in alert. Percy fingered Riptide in his pocket out of habit. They became more relaxed as they realized it was just Chiron and some campers standing there with their mouths open in shock.

"Lord Poseidon," Chiron bowed, the rest of the campers following his example. "What brings you here?"

"Chiron!" Percy yelled excitedly.

"Do I… know you?" Chiron asked confusedly.

"Uh…" Percy deflated quickly as he remembered it was the past Chiron. He swiped Poseidon's hat and put it on himself so that the centaur couldn't clearly see his face. "I've heard a lot about you, sir. My name's Peter Johnson."

"Nice to meet you," Chiron smiled a warm smile. It reminded him so much of the day Percy first came to camp, feeling so lost and confused.

Poseidon made some sunglasses appear and gave them to Percy.

"Chiron, who's this?" a little girl with blonde curls ran down to the beach and stared intriguingly at the two visitors.

"This is Peter Johnson." Chiron patted the girl's head like a father would do.

"Hi, Annabeth!" Percy blurted out before covering his mouth at his slip-up.

"Huh?" mini Annabeth cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"WAIT! How'd you know my –" Annabeth started.

"Oh look, it's Peter Johnson, the brat!" Dionysus yawned.

The campers gasped. "You got his name right!"

"What? N-no, I… His name isn't –" Dionysus spluttered. He looked totally lost.

"Oh, look at the time! We have a meeting right about now," Poseidon quickly said, tackling Dionysus to the ground and transporting him as everyone looked away from the bright flash.

They all stood there stunned and confused, except for Percy.

"Great job, you forgot me!" Percy yelled to the sky, rolling his eyes. Some looked at him as if he were high on sugar, while others just shrugged as if this sort of thing happened everyday.

POOF! A note appeared in the air, slowly sinking to the ground.

Use the elevator in the Empire State Building. I'm a little busy with a certain annoying wine dude. Percy read in his head. Just fan-freaking-tastic!

"You didn't answer my question!" Annabeth narrowed her eyes and stepped forward.

"Okay, well, I have to go! Bye Annabeth, bye Chiron!" Percy quickly hugged a shocked Annabeth and Chiron than ran to the stables to borrow a Pegasus. The crowd gathered just watched as they saw him soaring high and out of the boundaries of the camp.

"Well… that was weird…" Chiron murmured.

"Oh man! I didn't get to pummel him though!" A girl complained.

"Shut up, Clarisse." little Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Thalia and Zeus**

When Zeus came back out, his eye was twitching from annoyance. He would've killed that mortal long ago if it weren't for Hera telling him not to.

"Well it took you long enough!" Thalia yawned, just waking up from her nap. "Uh… What happened to you?"

"Let's just go." Zeus gritted his teeth and clenched his hands tightly. "We have to meet with our absurd family."

* * *

_Olympus_

A golden flash surrounded the council room for a moment than Zeus and Thalia appeared.

"Hello Lord Zeus, Thalia!" Hestia said without looking away from her hearth.

"Hello, Hestia…" Zeus sighed.

"What did you two do –" Aphrodite said as she looked at herself in her mirror.

"WHAT THE GODS HAPPENED TO YOU?" Hera screeched, causing Annabeth and Athena to rush into the room.

"Oh my gods…" Annabeth whispered and Athena stood there horrified.

Hermes, Ares, Apollo, Connor and Travis ran in, trying not to laugh but one look at Zeus made them all fall on the floor holding their rib cage and laughing like no tomorrow.

Zeus was wearing a cap backwards, with bagging jeans, a blue shirt, black converse and gold chains around his neck.

"P-please… I'm g-going to d-die of… laughter!" Connor choked out.

"What is so funny!" Zeus demanded.

"I'm sorry father, but your clothes just don't match your beard!" Apollo laughed.

Poseidon and Dionysus appeared in a golden light.

"I'm ba –WHOA!" Poseidon stifled a laugh. "What happened?"

"Mortals happened." Zeus grumbled.

"Where's Percy?" Connor and Travis asked, trying in vain to stifle their laughter.

"Thank you… I finally have some blackmail," Poseidon smiled.

Artemis appeared next. She took one look at Zeus and said "I'm not even going to ask."

"Don't you just love my 'gangster' style?" Zeus asked in a monotone voice, causing everyone to laugh again.

"I'm sorry but we can't love something you don't have." Hades said, appearing from the shadows with a laughing Nico and a shocked Demeter.

"Shut up!" Zeus whined.

"Okay, so what happened? Tell us the embarrassing details!" Travis eagerly said, earning a pat on the back from Hermes.

So Thalia went on and told everything that happened earlier.

"I never thought anyone could convince him to do that…" Athena murmured.

"How could you not know what hotdogs are?" Hermes shouted, very outraged.

The doors slammed open and Percy stood there panting. "Did I make it in time?"

"Nope."

Sorry, but there was dad and the cherub who left me behind and the Pegasus wanted some sugar cubes, but I didn't have any and the stupid desk guy wouldn't let me through and than I got lost on the way here and…" Percy stopped rambling on. "What the Hades happened to –"

"Don't even ask." Nico snickered.

"This is what happens when you are forbidden to destroy mortals!" Zeus glared at Hera, who was chuckling.

"Let's just hope this is only a phase," Hades muttered.

* * *

The Next Day,

The demigods all shuffled into the room sleepily.

"Yay, they're awake," Apollo smiled brightly.

"Close your mouth, you're going to blind me," Thalia groaned.

"Thank gods, Zeus is back to his original self," Percy said.

"You're welcome," Hephaestus replied.

"It took a lot of bribing, threatening –" Artemis chimed in.

"Threatening does not work for me; I'm the king of the gods!" Zeus boomed proudly.

"Dramatic much?" Poseidon rolled his eyes.

"Blackmailing did work though," Apollo said.

"No it didn't," Athena rolled her eyes. "All we had to do was ask him politely."

"I know," Apollo sighed, "But my response sounded more hardcore."

Everyone rolled their eyes at Apollo's exaggeration.

"No one had to ask me, I would have done it anyways," Zeus frowned.

"Okay," Athena said loudly so that everyone quieted down. "I'm currently working on a way for you kids to go back to your own time after."

"Could it be possible that after we read the 5 books, we go back automatically? After all, it magically teleported us to this year." Thalia said.

"That could be true, but we must prepare for the worst." Athena replied.

"Right now, let's continue with the book…" Hermes suggested.

"One down, four to go." Apollo sighed.

"Wait, can we eat breakfast first? We just woke up," Percy said.

"Okay, you can eat and listen while we read." Artemis said, as a table full of food appeared.

"Who wants to read?" Percy asked, sipping some hot chocolate.

"I'll read first," Aphrodite volunteered, taking the second book from the corner of the room and flipping to the first chapter.


End file.
